Sweet-Rot
by FreyjaBee
Summary: Jude Heartfilia is a criminal wearing a mask. Natsu Dragneel doesn't pretend to hide. Lucy Heartfilia is torn between the two, stolen and bartered, a pawn in what's shaping up to be a very dangerous game. Rated M for sexual content, violence, language. (1950's AU)
1. Chapter 1

_Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima._

 **Warnings** : Graphic depictions of violence. Sexual content. Substance abuse. Sexual abuse. Generally, a whole lot of sensitive topics.

 ** _Sweet-Rot_**

* * *

She didn't look like much. Wheat-coloured hair twisted over a pale face, plump lips spread in calm breath, buxom curves. Gentle. That was the way he would describe his target. Not just gentle, but soft. Everything about her. Her hair would be like satin if he touched it, her skin as smooth as petals. She was a creature of luxury, her mouth made for sipping wine and eating grapes on the precipice of sweet-rot.

She was beautiful. And he hated her for it.

Regardless of how he felt about this pampered debutante, this kind of work always left a sour taste in his mouth. This was his responsibility, though. His family came first.

From a bag in his pocket he unfolded a rag soaked in sleeping tonic. It wasn't for now; it was for if and when she started to scream. Crouching, he allowed himself to brush her hair back from her forehead. She was as soft as he thought, smelling like jasmine and temptation. Temptation for her, for this life she'd lived that he would never experience. The line between rich and poor was a great divide.

"Lucy." Her name rolled off his tongue, like it was always meant to be there.

She stirred.

"Lucy." He kept his voice gentle and counted down the seconds, wondering if he was going to relish in her fear or not. Who was he kidding? Of course he was—though he wasn't a _monster._ Her kind deserved this treatment. "Lucy."

 _Three._

"Wake up, Lucy."

 _Two._

"We have something important to talk about."

 _One._

"It's about your father."

Her eyes came open, as did her lips. Natsu allowed only the strangled pre-curser to Lucy Rosanta Heartfilia's scream, then he clamped his hand, and the rag soaked through with sleeping tonic, over her mouth. Those warm toffee-coloured eyes widened just before they fluttered closed. She slumped, breasts heaving as she hit the bed. She was out. He had assumed he'd have to carry her from her mansion, though he'd hoped that she'd be one of the girls that were too shocked to scream, one of the ones that were scared enough that they just stared blankly until he asked them his questions, then they would spew answers and give him all the information he needed, so he didn't have to cart them back to the Den.

No such luck.

Natsu tore back her blue silk duvet. Lucy Heartfilia dressed for bed like she dressed for a ball, her nightgown as silken and decorated as her blankets, low cut so her breasts spilled from the neckline.

He caught his eyes wandering over her exaggerated lines and looked away, disgusted with himself for looking and with her for tempting him into doing so. Stooping, he gathered her up. She was heavier than expected, deadweight now. He adjusted so her cheek was against his collarbone and he was holding her from beneath the knees. Her delicate hand swung limply before him, moving with every breath he took.

Holding her close, he exited the way he came, things only getting awkward when he hefted her over the second-storey railing. She hung over the air with nothing but his arms cradling her. If he let her go she'd fall. And really, would the world miss another privileged—and _useless_ —aristocrat? He told himself to look past the hate if for no other reason than Lucy Heartfilia had his answers, and he'd be damn sure he got them.

Down below, Wendy waited, dark blue hair curling and shining in the moonlight.

"Ready?" Natsu whispered hoarsely. Not that he thought Jude Heartfilia's lazy guards would notice their departure. They hadn't noticed them arrive after all, and they hadn't even tried to be quiet.

The girl nodded once, silent as a wraith. Natsu let Lucy Heartfilia go and watched her plummet like a plump apple freed from a tree. Seconds before she hit the ground, Wendy's magic took hold and Lucy levitated, safe. If only Lucy knew how close she came to a few broken bones. Something like _that_ would be a good interrogation tactic. He stowed away the information for later then, heart beating with excitement and a tinge of trepidation, followed Lucy's path over the ornate bannister, allowing himself to free fall all the way to the ground. He hit lightly, coming to rest inches from Wendy's side. "Cutting it kind of close, weren't you?"

"She lied about her weight on her last trip to the doctor," Wendy grumbled.

"So did you," Natsu returned.

"Growth spurt," Wendy corrected.

"Can you levitate her back or not?" Natsu knew his answer before Wendy shook her head. With resignation, he plucked the blonde from the air and brought her back to his body, a slew of sensations vying for prominence. First was revulsion.

The second made his body do things that he didn't ever want it to do for some rich police chief's daughter. To combat a stiffening cock and a quickening heart, he thought of all the things he hated about Magnolia's crooked-as-they-come, right-side-of-the-law-criminal, Jude Heartfilia.

One: all the privilege that high society and station offered him.

Two: the way he ruled the streets with an iron fist.

Three: the undue respect everyone gave him. Bosses and underlings alike all cast their eyes to the ground when Chief Heartfilia rolled through in his cruiser. And who could blame them? It seemed that every lawbreaker paid their dues. Jude Heartfilia and his men were _very_ good at their jobs.

Natsu could get along with all that glamor. What _really_ got under his skin was the kids that were going missing from the streets, picked up in cop cars and never seen again. First it was the ones with the hefty records, guys and girls with things like assault and larceny and murder backing their names. It didn't stop there, though. When they inevitably became scarce, those with petty records started to go, too. And not to jail. Not to death's row, if all the reports were to be believed. They were just… gone. Vanished like ghosts in the fog.

It had been months since the disappearances had started. Not one of the kids had been a Den member. _Zeref thinks the cops won't touch us,_ Natsu thought as he carried Lucy Heartfilia through the streets. But now he knew better.

"Do you think Zeref will be mad that we brought her back?" Wendy asked.

"Not once we tell him what happened to Happy," Natsu replied.

"How do you know that's what happened though, Natsu? You said you didn't see it."

"I saw enough."

"Enough to warrant _kidnapping_ the police chief's daughter?"

" _Yes._ I _told_ you what happened."

"Well... Maybe you should tell me again."

Natsu wasted no time, feeling righteous. "We were scouting out Crawford's house for that job Zeref wanted us to do. Happy went east, I stayed on the west side because Crawford—" The fat privileged slob— "had that damn gnome out again."

" _What_ is your obsession with that thing?" Wendy asked exasperatedly.

Natsu glowered. "Have you seen it? I told Crawford I was going to take its stupid gold hat _last_ time he and Heartfilia started burning down the slum's tents, so how could I resist?"

"With a little bit of self-control," Wendy muttered.

Natsu ignored her, finishing his story. "And that's when I heard Happy yell. His .22 went off. I ran over, but by the time I got there, a car was peeling away from the curb and Happy was gone."

"That's hardly cause for kidnapping. It could have been anyone's car," Wendy said, trying to be rational.

Natsu squeezed Lucy Heartfilia so hard there would be finger marks in her legs and in her arms tomorrow. "No. I saw the car. It was black and white and had 'Magnolia' on the fucking side, so _don't_ tell me it could have been _anyone._ "

Wendy chewed a lock of hair, figuring out the best way to voice her opinion. "Even if it was… Taking on the cops… that's a big move, Natsu."

"What else can we do? Zeref said he thought we were safe from them—that they wouldn't bug us." And Natsu had believed him. Hell, why not? The Den didn't have the numbers other gangs in Magnolia did, but they didn't need them, either. They made up for it in viciousness. Scare tactics and brutality were far from disgraced in the Den's underground halls, and because of it, everyone was afraid to cross them, the cops included. "They were supposed to be too _scared_ , Wendy."

She went back to chewing her hair. "They were. I can't remember the last time a member's been arrested. Something's changed."

Yeah. Something. Happy was just another street boy with a rap sheet a mile long, gone, and no one knew where. Except, he wasn't. He was Natsu's best friend. Natsu expected cops to put men into cars and drive them out into the snow, but only when they found bodies in the river and nobody seemed to know.

Again, he tightened his hold on Lucy Heartfilia's body. Looking down at her slack face he whispered, "You're going to tell me everything you know."

* * *

Natsu came in through the Den's underground entrance and went straight into Zeref's office, Wendy at his side. From his large wooden desk, (stolen (quite gracelessly at that) from a traveling merchant that had spat on Natsu when he was just a boy, hungry and begging) Zeref lifted his gaze from the ledger he read and looked from the Heartfilia girl, to Wendy, to his brother and back again.

"What's this?"

"Lucy Rosanta Heartfilia," Natsu said with a hint of a manic grin.

"Yes," Zeref said calmly, "I see that. _Why_ is she here?"

"To tell us what happens to the people Heartfilia takes. And then we're going to use her to get Happy back," Natsu said with conviction. "We'll do a trade. Happy for this girl."

Zeref chewed his cheek. "Happy was taken?"

"Right from Crawford's grounds," Natsu affirmed.

"But no one touches our people."

Natsu mimicked Wendy's words. "Something's changed."

Zeref's expression got dark. Natsu searched the other man's face, looking for the outburst he _thought_ was coming. Zeref was difficult to read, hiding his emotions well, but when you'd lived with him for twenty years like Natsu had, you came to know that the tilt to his mouth that some would mistake for displeasure was actually bemusement, though the dragon slayer thought maybe it was perhaps a bit displaced.

Zeref twiddled his pen between his fingers. "Something's changed… That's one opinion of it, I suppose. Not necessarily a _good_ one. We should remind them of why they don't fuck with us, I think." Zeref's eyes lingered on Lucy. "Good job getting her. She'll be a valuable tool."

"A valuable _bargaining_ tool," Natsu said firmly. "I want Happy back."

Zeref considered him, a million thoughts going on behind his eyes. Finally, he said, "We can use her as an exchange, and why not some profit, too?"

Natsu smiled for real. "I'll get Rogue to draw up the ransom note."


	2. Chapter 2

**Important A/N:**

I mentioned in the first chapter the potential for sexual abuse. I've gone ahead and decided that this is a route I'm going to take. For better or for worse. I'm stepping hugely out of my comfort zone here, and I don't want anyone else to have to as well if they're not down for that. I won't be into explicit details, or at least, I don't think, but I really did want to give people a warning. Please adhere to it.

Otherwise, I'm sorry. I heavily edited the latter half of the first chapter as of November 8, 2016. The gist is the same, though, so you don't need to read it.

That's all.

* * *

Lucy's eyelids felt weighed down. She breathed shallowly, her lungs also tight. Incrementally, she became aware of things. Stone-ridden dirt under her left hand. Bits of grit getting caught beneath her nails as she brushed her hand over the ground, trying to get a tactile connection. Strong fingers digging into her shoulders painfully.

"Lucy." His voice was a harsh whisper, but she'd know Loke anywhere after all of the hours they'd spent together, sometimes hiding, sometimes just talking. "Lucy, wake up."

He sounded so urgent, she wanted to obey, yet when she opened her mouth to reply, only a faint 'hmm' came out.

"Come on." He shook her harder, making Lucy's eyes come open by accident. It took everything she had to keep them that way, though granted, when she caught a glimpse of first Loke's strained expression and then the surroundings over his shoulder, it got easier. Over her head was a steel reinforced ceiling, same as the walls. The floor was exposed soil, barren of everything except the tiny cot she lay on.

"What...?" The word was slurred.

Loke looked over his shoulder, listening to something only he could hear. His muscles tensed. One second passed. Two. _Then_ Lucy heard what he did. Footsteps. Loke ducked and shuffled out of the view of the narrow window in the center of the large metal door. The footsteps passed. He relaxed and came back. "Lucy, you've been taken by the Dragon's Den."

"The Dragon's Den?" Everyone knew Magnolia's infamous gang. She'd even caught glimpses of them flitting from shadow to shadow on the streets around dusk. She never imagined...

"You've been gone for two days."

" _What_?" She felt a million steps behind with no hope of catching up. A sliver of memory came to her. A man leaning over the side of her bed. ' _Lucy? Wake up, Lucy_.'

"Yeah. You're going to need these back." Loke handed her a key ring absent of all but three golden celestial keys, the ones she kept on her at all times, though she hadn't been able to call them for months.

Moving slowly, Lucy took them from his hand, feeling the power in the metal. "Why weren't they on my neck?"

"I took them off because I was afraid those idiots would realize what they were and take them," Loke explained. "Lucy… I've told Lyra to go through her gate and get word to your father. He's sending over a unit."

"My dad is?" Lucy repeated.

Loke looked at her sympathetically. "Yeah. I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of when I realized what happened. He was looking for you already, but he couldn't track you. The Dragon's have got some kind of spell on this place or something, but it messes up just about everything."

 _Couldn't track me._ For two days she'd been out of her father's sights. And now Loke had told him where to collect her. "I don't want to go back," Lucy hissed, suddenly animated. Her limbs shook, reluctant to obey, but she did it, sitting upright on the squeaky cot.

"I know."

"I'm serious. I won't, not now that I'm free."

"As soon as we're out of here, we'll start thinking of a way to get away—"

Ignoring him, she started scratching at her arm, determined to get under the skin. Her nails were barely long enough.

"Lucy, don't."

"No." Maybe she was too loud. Who cared? The skin broke. Not enough, but it broke. Encouraged, she tried harder, digging in deeper.

"Lucy." He grabbed her wrist.

Lucy jerked out of his hold and stood, wobbling dangerously. "I thought you were my friend, Loke? And beyond that, my spirit?"

He looked at her sadly. "Lucy, please—"

"No." She went back to maiming herself and Loke went back to stopping her.

"Why are you doing this?" There were tears in her eyes. "Last time, you told me you would do _anything_ to make it stop. Here's your chance."

Loke searched her eyes. She knew she had him before he sighed and reached into his pants pocket. From the depths he pulled a stubby pocket knife. Lucy looked at the offered weapon, knowing for a fact that it was finely honed. "Yeah?" She'd hoped he'd help, but hadn't really expected this drastic measure.

"I don't want you to go through that anymore."

She held out her arm without hesitation. It was Loke that faltered.

"If you're afraid, give it to me and I'll do it."

"No, you'll mess it up," Loke replied. He expelled a breath and got to work, easing the tip of the knife into her skin inches above her wrist and sliding the blade down between her veins. She didn't hiss or cry out, just pinched her eyes against the pain. The blade bit through effortlessly until it hit the objects they were looking for. Loke split the skin some more, then used the tip of the knife to pop out a small tracking lacrima, and the draining lacrima beside it. Both fell to the ground and attempted to roll away. Loke crushed them beneath the heel of his boot, smashing them to tiny pieces.

Lucy panted and held her arm tight, feeling the blood seep between her fingers. "We need to leave now. _Right now_ , Loke, before he comes. We need to get as far away as we can, that way he can never find me again."

Loke took a handkerchief from his pocket and started to mend Lucy's arm. "We will." He paused halfway through tying a bow, hearing something again. Panic overcame him. He wiped the blood from his hands hastily, rubbing them over his black slacks, then snatched the keys out of Lucy's hand and stuffed them into her plain white pillowcase, making sure they were flat against the mattress so no one would question the odd lumps. There was only a faint bloody thumb print to mark where he'd grabbed the crisp fabric.

He was just straightening again when an unfamiliar voice said, "Hello, Lucy." The single door opened. Lucy looked over her shoulder, finding a tall man wearing a suit. It was an expensive one, but not an exact match for his frame. It was stolen, if she was any judge.

He was good looking with his dark hair and straight jaw kissed with stubble, but his eyes made him cold. His black as pitch irises took her in calculatingly, sizing her up, breaking her down, putting her into a neat box. He looked to Loke next and an expression of mild surprise took him. He quickly recovered, crossing the room with authority. "Zeref Dragneel, leader of the Dragon's Den." He held out a hand that Lucy didn't shake. He waited for a second, giving her another chance. She still didn't take it. He shrugged and found a relaxed position, backing up to lean against the door frame. "Allow me to explain your situation. My little brother Natsu had his best friend taken by your father. He wanted retribution and took something equally as important to Jude Heartfilia. You. We've drawn up a ransom note and we've delivered it. We're waiting for a response from him. If all goes well... You'll be freed and we'll have Happy back. And if it doesn't... well, I don't want to be cruel, but it's bad business to be soft. We'll retaliate in an appropriate way. Meaning, if he cuts off Happy's fingers, yours gets done, too. He cuts off Happy's head. And... you get the picture, right?"

Lucy didn't think he was joking; he looked too serious for that.

Zeref nodded to Loke. "So why don't you tell me what this is about? An escape attempt?" His eyes dropped Lucy's arm and her blood-soaked handkerchief. "A maiming? In that ransom note I told your father you wouldn't be harmed. He's going to see that and think I'm a liar."

Lucy wanted to be afraid—Zeref had a nasty reputation, if her father was to be believed—but she wouldn't allow for it. She gripped her nightdress in shaking hands, wishing for more clothing but making do with what she had. "There won't be any ransom. This ends here. Move out of my way." She shuffled forward like she meant business, like he would move if she just _believed_ he would, like all of her servants did.

Only, he did not. "Did you miss the part where you were a hostage? Go back to your cot, Lucy. Sit down and wait."

She just got mad. "How dare you? You—you snuck into my bedroom in the middle of the night and snatched me up like you had any right, and then you have the gall to order me around. Get out of my way."

Zeref remained sedentary, lips curling in an unnerving smile. "How dare I? No one touches my people. Not anyone from the other pathetic gangs. Not the council. Not the cops. Not even if that cop is the police chief. This is what happens when the Dragon's Den is crossed."

Lucy switched tactics. "Please. I don't know what you're talking about, I have nothing to do with any trouble you have with the police."

"I think you're lying. Doesn't your father come home and tell you about his day? Things might be expedited if you tell me where he keeps the kids he takes."

 _The kids he takes._ Of course they'd be interested in that. "I don't know."

"Well that's a shame. Guess we'll have to play the waiting game until either you crack or your father shows." There was unyielding iron in his voice.

 _I can't wait._ "It doesn't matter. My father will never meet your demands, so you should just release me." It was a lie. She thought her father would do everything in his power to have her home again. It was one of the most important things to him, next to resurrecting his wife. And look, he couldn't do one without the other.

Zeref said, "I don't think that's true at all. One of my people was watching when he received our note, you see. He seemed very frantic, and very interested in having you come home."

Lucy couldn't help the shiver that took her, remembering sweaty hands and wet mouths and late night visits that were perforated by covert whispers. Locking her door hadn't made any difference; he always seemed to have a key. When she asked her spirits for help, Jude Heartfilia had devised a way to drain her power with the lacrima he had embedded in her skin. Every second her spirits spent in the real world was a second that they lost a gross amount of power, so much so that the spell couldn't be maintained. To cut the lacrima out was to receive punishment—and he _always_ seemed to know. Though, now that it was done and she was away from him, nothing could stop her.

"Loke."

"Right." He stepped out before her, fearless. The spell was formed and loosed in a split second. Energy in the form of light left his hands and shot for Zeref. The man only lifted his hand, swallowing the light inside a black orb. With his other hand, he summoned more shade and threw it at the lion spirit. Loke barely had time to scream before he compressed in on himself and was torn out of this world, forced back into the celestial realm.

"No!" Lucy lunged for his last location and met only air. Zeref did it with such little effort. _It's because my magic is still weak_ , she thought morosely. Surely they would have done better with more time to recover… right? She whirled on Zeref. "How could you?"

"I told you how this works. I want your stay here to be without incident," Zeref said. "Hold out your arms."

"My arms?"

"Yes."

He stepped toward her and Lucy stepped back. "Get away from me."

"Please cooperate, Lucy," Zeref told her. "Currently, you're being treated with respect. I don't want that to change."

"Respect? You're treating me like a—a dog. Locking me in a crate and then telling me to be a good girl. Get _out_ of my way." She came on again, determined to get past him this time. He caught her wrist in a callused hand and pulled her back inside the room. She yelled and attempted to tear out of his grasp. It was no use. She slapped when that failed, catching him in the cheek. The sound was so shocking Lucy was paralyzed for a moment. She'd never struck anyone before. In her paralysis, Zeref came alive and grabbed her other wrist, moving behind her and clamping her hands together behind her back. The cut Loke left her with twanged and started to bleed again. Recognizing her folly did nothing to help her now; Lucy was stuck. She writhed to no avail.

Zeref lifted his voice. "Natsu."

The doorway filled with another man, one Lucy recognized. Who could forget that head of pink hair? It had been notable even in the dark of night with only the moon for illumination. " _You_."

He scowled, brows coming close together. He didn't talk to her, though, or bother looking at her, choosing instead to solely regard Zeref. "What?"

Zeref said, "Search her for celestial keys."

"Wendy already looked," Natsu said.

"She didn't look well enough, obviously, because Lucy summoned a spirit," Zeref replied impatiently. "Search her."

Natsu snorted air from his nose like he was fortifying himself and came in.

"Get away from me!" Lucy trilled. "I swear, if you touch me—I'll—you'll—" She didn't know. "You'll be arrested."

Natsu ignored her watery threats. Crouching at her bare and dirty feet, he started there, feeling up her leg for any keys taped to her skin. Lucy lifted her foot and kicked as soon as she thought to.

Natsu grabbed her ankle with hands so hot they were uncomfortable, and forced her foot back to the ground. "You don't want to do that." There was almost no emotion to his voice, making him most unnerving. Lucy swallowed a lump of fear. Her muscles were weaker by the minute. Standing, giving Loke power she didn't really have, and losing him so abruptly back into the spirit realm had taken a lot out of her. Now all she could do was tremble and pray they didn't toss her room.

Natsu's hands moved up her leg to her thigh, his touches abrupt and practical through the fabric of her nightgown, never lingering longer than they should. They still made Lucy blush, especially when he moved between her legs and around to her backside.

"I am _not_ going to keep celestial keys there," she hissed.

"You'd be surprised at some of the places I've seen people keep things," Zeref replied.

Natsu moved away from her backside and up her torso, feeling under and between her breasts. Flushing more, Lucy closed her eyes and prayed for it to stop. Tears pressed against her eyelids. "Please. Just let me go. I can't help you."

"Lift her arms." Natsu's voice was cold, his touches precise as soon as Zeref did as he asked. Finally, when he'd felt everything Lucy had to feel, looked in every nook she had to hide—even in her cheeks and beneath her tongue, sticking fingers that tasted like salt and iron into her mouth and scooping around—he decided what Lucy knew all along. "There's nothing on her."

Zeref dropped Lucy's wrists and came around to her front. "They're here somewhere. Tell me or you'll go without dinner."

"Alright," Lucy said. "They're back at the Heartfilia mansion. Where I should be." However the thought repulsed her.

"You're lying to me, Lucy. I'm not an idiot. I know how celestial magic works. The spirit is near his key when he appears in the real world."

She shrugged. "Loke has two feet. Maybe he walked here."

"And got past all my guards? I don't think so," Zeref replied.

She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "I don't know what to tell you. I don't have them."

Irritated, Zeref said, "Search the room, Natsu. I'll go make sure everyone is where they're supposed to be, just in case she's telling the truth."

Natsu's scowl deepened. "I'll get Rogue, or Sting—"

"Just do it. You can glare at her and tell her all the ways you hate her as you work. Maybe it'll get rid of some of that frustration you've been carrying around."

The door slammed behind Zeref, leaving them alone together. Lucy took the opportunity to try to make him see reason. "Please. Natsu, right? I don't know where your friend is, but if you let me go, I can try asking around—"

"Unless you're opening your mouth to tell me where he is, shut the hell up," Natsu said coldly.

Unusued to being spoken to in such a way, Lucy did just that, clamming up tight.

Natsu went to the bed and crouched on the floor, looking in the most obvious place. Lucy's heart turned with anxiety. Seeing nothing, the man stood, grabbed the thin blanket and tore it back from the bed. Of course the keys weren't there, either. But he was reaching for the pillow… _Distract him._ Gods. She didn't know how.

"Natsu—"

The air became dense with more familiar magic, severing Lucy's words. The floor beneath her feet vibrated. She felt the strain on her connection with Virgo and knew what to expect better than Natsu did when the floor erupted with bits of rock and lots of dust. Through the cloud, Lucy saw Virgo first push Natsu roughly; he fell to the ground, sprawling like an octopus on land; all he had was too many limbs, then she went for the bed and grabbed the pillow, taking the whole thing. She surged toward Lucy, attempting to grab her, too, reaching, reaching.

"Princess—hurry!" Lucy scrambled through the dust, ankles turning on bits of stone. She was just feet away when a force grabbed her by the waist, pulling her up short; the air exploded from her lungs. That was only the start of her discomfort, though. Hot. All of the oxygen was taken away from the room in a flash with the appearance of a wall of flame. Virgo screamed; Lucy couldn't see her for all of the commotion, but she felt the spirit get taken out of this realm.

"Virgo!" It was much too late. The celestial door slammed closed just as Lucy was thrown to the ground. Her ribs protested both the abuse and the weight that settled over them. Through the globes of settling dirt, she faced Natsu's fury, face only inches from hers. He used his weight to pin her to the ground, his hand clamped around both of her wrists. The scream she'd been working on shrivelled.

"No more games, Lucy. If you call your spirits again, I'm going to find those keys and I'm going to break them," Natsu threatened. Zeref had told him how celestial magic worked.

She sagged beneath a wave of distressed horror. "Please—I didn't summon them. They came here all on their own. I—I promise."

Natsu faltered, for a moment thinking he should be nicer. It was the plump lips and the roses of colour on her cheeks. It was the way her voice warbled. It was the way her wrists felt trapped between his fingers, delicate. He drummed up an image of Happy. Happy with his blue hair—the dye stolen from the drug shop on a regular—and freckles, his infectious smile that had earned him the name 'Happy' when he'd shown up with no other, memory blank from some trauma. Natsu found the will to squeeze Lucy's wrists tighter, delicate or not. "Then tell them to stop, otherwise things are going to get bad and none of us want that."

She started to cry, big wet tears, sobbing breaths, quivering lips. The very tip of her nose got red. "Let me go, please. I didn't do anything!"

Of course she didn't think so, Lucy, in her dirt smeared silks with her mussed up golden hair. Lucy, who would rather open her mouth to be fed grapes enough to keep her curves round than tell him anything useful. "You sat in your fucking mansion getting drunk on the good life while everyone below you suffered. How's that for a start? And if that's not enough, you're guilty by association. Jude Heartfilia's crimes are yours as long as you protect him. Tell me where to find the people he takes!"

Lucy cried harder. "I don't know!"

Now that he'd found it, his anger was hard to contain. He slapped the ground beside her head, fire mushrooming out on contact. Some of Lucy's perfect hair singed. He was sorry for it as soon as it happened; those gold locks weren't meant to be burned by anything but the sun. He quashed the regret and the effect her raising cries had on him. " _This_ is why you're going to be traded for your money, Lucy, you're useless. Every single one of you sitting in your mansions with your roasted duck and your mascarpone and Romaneée-Conti." His accent was brutal. He didn't give a hell. "The only things you're good for are looking pretty and answering questions." He thought of something meaner she could be good for, too, but hated himself for thinking it—whether or not it was for the horrible thought, or because he'd considered it with her, he had no idea. It remained unvoiced so he could keep some dignity. "So do all of us _lowlifes_ a favour and do what you're good at. Stop causing trouble and start talking so we can get Happy back, cash in your worth and move the fuck on."

"Please—"

"Natsu, I told you to search her room, not torment her," Zeref's voice came from the doorway.

Natsu looked up into his brother's eyes. The dust had cleared, allowing him to see that Zeref had moved past the realms of mild detachment and onto the precipice of anger. A wrong move and he'd be dodging fists. "She summoned another spirit."

"Did you find her keys?"

"I think the spirit took them," Natsu said.

More anger flashed behind Zeref's eyes. In a show of great restraint, he said, "If they took the keys, they can't come back here. You've backed yourself into a corner, Lucy. I would have returned those keys upon your release, but now you're alone."

Lucy turned her face into the dust, more tears leaking from her eyes. She didn't understand why Virgo took her keys away. _She meant for you to go, too_. Of course. But now what?

The sound of shuffling feet made Lucy's eyes come open again. She watched Zeref go from wall to wall, scrawling an insignia on each. The fourth one drawn, they blazed brightly, thick magic filling the space. It faded as soon as it came.

"There. Aside from ours, there will be no more magic in this room, Lucy. Even if your spirits wanted to revisit, they couldn't." He went to the hole in the floor, holding out his hand like he expected something to rise from its depths. The most horrific thing, Lucy thought, was that it worked. Shadows writhed like living things, reaching from the darkest pit to fill the void Virgo left behind. Satisfied, Zeref said, "You won't be able to get out that way, either. Let her go, Natsu. She can't do much now."

Natsu loosened his hold on Lucy's wrist and stood. She didn't attempt to get up, still sprawled, nighty askew in (un)flattering ways.

Zeref said, "I don't like to be cruel, but I do like to keep my word, and impart lasting lessons, Lucy. You'll go without dinner tonight. I'll think about breakfast."

Eyes fixed on the writhing hole in the floor, she only said, "Please don't leave me with those things."

"They won't bother you if you don't try anything stupid. Wait for your father."

Lucy didn't look at them as they exited, remaining on the floor, feeling defeated. Her arm was starting to hurt, the wound congealed then ripped open again by her tussle with Natsu, then congealed again. _At least the lacrima aren't in there anymore_. There _was_ that. She found the shattered bits of crystal beside the bed. She hated those things. _I won't do it anymore._ She'd rather die. Realizing how true that was made her feel numb.

 _If there's no other way…_

She lay on the floor for hours, crying until she couldn't cry anymore, and then she shivered, used and tired, cold and hungry, and listened to people walk back and forth in front of her cell, catching snippets of conversation that meant nothing to her. When that quieted, she was resigned to watching the shadows Zeref left behind. Every time one of them moved, her heart would palpitate.

Eventually the overhead lights dimmed and she realized that she couldn't lie on the floor for the _entire_ time, as much as she'd like to remain immobile. There was no way she'd be caught down there when the lights went out completely, level with those _things_. Getting to her feet was difficult, avoiding the writhing pit to get to the cot even more so. One black tentacle slipped out of the wound in the earth and caressed her bare foot. Lucy froze, back pinned to the wall, lungs seized in an expel, and prayed that it wouldn't wrap around her leg and drag her in. After a moment the thing seemed satisfied and released her. She raced to the bed and lifted her legs up on the cardboard-comfortable mattress. The shadows settled.

Lucy couldn't do the same. The closest she came was gathering up the thin sheet the Dragon's Den deemed an acceptable blanket. She brought it up to her chin though it did so little to cut out the cold she might as well not be wearing it at all. Resignation made her lean back against the wall and tuck the sheet around her. She dropped her gaze, wanting to lower her lids but always wanting that black pit in her sights. In the waning light, gold flicked at the head of the bed and caught her eye. Her heart sped as soon as she recognized the familiar shape. As stealthily as possible, she glanced up at the pit of writhing black. They were faceless. She still felt like she was being watched. She lay down, curling her body as well as she could around the object and palmed it.

Twenty breath-holding seconds went by in which Lucy expected to be caught and attacked. Nothing happened. She summoned all of her bravery and rolled away from the pit and brought her blankets over her head. In the safety of the covers, she held up the gift Virgo left behind. One golden key that made escape seem possible. She tightened her fist around it. Her eyes were wet again. She didn't know how she was going to summon the spirit she needed to, only that she wouldn't go back to her father. It was the first night in months she hadn't had to be Layla Heartfilia, and she was determined to keep it that way.


	3. Chapter 3

Rich and bitter. The smell of coffee was welcomed. Natsu swung into the underground kitchen, dodging the single scratched wooden table, making straight for the island that divided the room down the middle. Beyond it was a dented white fridge and fuse-powered range. Shamelessly, he slipped behind the island and snatched up a cup of the steaming brew from the tray Kinana was preparing and took a huge sip, the liquid burning all the way down his throat and into his empty stomach.

"Natsu," the girl scolded in that passive-aggressive way she had, using that little voice. "That's for Zeref."

"Actually," Rogue spoke from his perch on the steel stool at the end of the island, "It's for our guest."

"Guest?" Natsu repeated.

Kinana opened the oven and grabbed out a warmed plate piled high with bacon and eggs. "Miss Heartfilia."

 _Miss Heartfilia._ Natsu sneered without ever meaning to. "Zeref said she wasn't going to get breakfast."

"Mmm, I said I'd think about it." Zeref entered the kitchen from a door on the opposite side of the room. He was in the custom Ascot Chang shirt and suit he'd stolen from the magistrate after the man had tried to prosecute Sting the year before for taking a string of pearls from his daughter. He'd broken into the man's house just to prove a point: that the Den should never be trifled with.

It was either that or kill the magistrate. Zeref decided that leaving the man alive was a better option: that way he wouldn't have to go through the whole process again when a new one got appointed. Natsu would have rather just gone in, fists swinging. He was hot and Zeref was cold.

"I think you shouldn't feed her until she talks. I want to know where Happy is." Before he wasn't anywhere, if that hadn't happened already.

"She says she doesn't know anything," Zeref said. "I don't think we have to starve her."

"She's _lying,_ obviously."

"Nah. She's so scared, the only thing she's got is the truth," Zeref rebuked.

Natsu snorted a breath from his nose. "Like I'd believe that. We should be tougher on her, figure out what she knows so when her father double-crosses us and shows up with heat instead of money we have a backup plan."

"Jude Heartfilia was out of his mind when he got that note," Rogue said. "I don't think he's going to be doing anything but paying."

"Bullshit." Natsu grabbed a slice of bacon off the plate made for Lucy and ate it. It was salty as hell; amazing.

"Did you not hear that was for Lucy?" Zeref asked in that dangerous way he had.

"Yeah, but I didn't care," Natsu replied. "That's good food you're wasting on that—" He didn't know a word good—or bad—enough to describe her. "That—"

Zeref raised a dark brow, waiting patiently.

Sting came in to the room, Erik behind him, and saved Natsu from digging up a heavy insult. "Talking about Heartfilia's girl? Natsu, still sore about her?"

Erik developed a huge grin. "Sure, in his pants."

Natsu stapled them both with a glower. "Or not." Not that he'd ever fucking admit, anyway. So what if he liked the way she spilled out of her nightgown? So what if he liked how full her hips were? So what if he liked the way she was sweetly soft? He looked at lots of girls. Plenty better looking than her.

Erik laughed. "She's got you turned around, huh? She's got a classic chassis and you like it. Wendy said she was packing."

The men's laughter drowned out Natsu's rude response. Pity, too, because now he didn't feel at all validated.

Erik said, "So, who's bringing Goldie Locks breakfast?"

"I was going to," Zeref said.

"The boss, eh?" Sting cut in. "Seems like overkill. I'll do that for you so you don't have to bother."

"I do have lots of other things to do." Zeref didn't falter, not at all suspicious like Natsu was.

"I'll bring it to her," Natsu interjected.

Erik and Sting exchanged a vicious smile. Sting asked, "Hoping to catch another glimpse?"

Natsu grabbed the tray and the fresh cup of coffee Kinana left there and started away without dignifying him with a response.

"Hey! Maybe try being nice to her this time, Natsu! You might get more than just answers!" Sting called. There was more snickering and jibing. Natsu did his best to ignore it all. He didn't need anything else from Lucy Rosanta Heartfilia. Nothing except Happy's location.

* * *

Figuring Lucy didn't need much privacy, Natsu opened the cell door without knocking and was rewarded with a peculiar sight. Lucy, standing in the corner with her legs crossed, her nightdress hiked halfway to her knees, discomfort on her face. She stopped her frantic fussing as soon as she saw him. Her neck went bright with embarrassment; it didn't change the wildness to her eyes.

"I have to pee."

 _Pee_... He lined up the sight before him. Princess Heartfilia was just about to do it on the floor. Shocking. Dramatic. Natsu suppressed an eye roll. "This way."

Lucy barely faltered skirting around the agitated pit of Zeref's magic, she was too desperate for that. She hustled up, all hair and breasts and wide eyes. "Hurry."

Natsu placed the plate of food and the empty coffee cup on the ground, going extra slow just to spite her, though he knew it was unnecessarily mean. Think of it as punishment for the way she unintentionally distracted him. Punishment for her involvement in Happy's disappearance. He walked just as slowly, too. To her credit, a lady in the presence of others until the last of her patience was absolutely frayed, Lucy kept pace with him all the way until Natsu stopped in front of a small unmarked room. _Then_ she rushed away from him and slammed herself inside. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

She took her sweet-ass time, even after the toilet flushed. Two minutes turned into five. Natsu hammered on the door. Beyond, Lucy peeped. "Just a second."

"Now."

"Just… hang on."

There was a warble to her voice he didn't like. From experience, it sounded like she was gearing herself up for something. Something he wasn't going to like. Grabbing the handle, he wiggled it back and forth, a trick he had to learn to get it unlocked when Erik indulged in his favourite white powder just a bit too much. Wendy was always really happy when her healing magic was needed on those days.

Lucy had been leaning over the toilet, but as the door opened, she straightened. She looked stricken and desperate, hair a golden cloud, mouth wobbling.

Natsu asked, "Are you sick or something?"

The blonde wrung her hands in front of her belly button. "The taps don't work."

Natsu raised a brow. "Planning on washing your hands in the toilet?"

Lucy's cheeks went red. "No. But the toilet works. I was trying to figure out why."

He didn't believe her. "The plumber aristocrat? Nice try. The only thing you gotta know is that it doesn't. Come on." Natsu waved her back out.

Lucy stayed where she was. "Just wait."

"Did you piss?"

Lucy looked uncomfortable with his harsh language. She recovered. "Yes, but I'd like a few minutes to… to freshen up, I—"

"Doesn't matter what you look like," Natsu said harshly. "Get out."

Still she stalled. "Please—"

Natsu scrutinized her. "What are you hiding?"

The girl sobered. "Hiding? Nothing."

The thought of searching her again made Natsu's lip curl into a frown. No thanks. He took her arm and tugged her from the small room and back down the hall, much faster than they'd arrived. Lucy lagged every step of the way, perhaps just to be difficult.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the cell. You got breakfast there." Unfortunately, but if he didn't do what Zeref asked, his brother wasn't going to be happy.

Even as Lucy walked, seemingly cooperative, she complained. Typical. "I don't want to sit in there all day. I'm bored. I've been awake for hours just staring at those _things_ in the floor and suffering because you are all a bunch of savages. You can't lock someone up without a place to go to the washroom."

"I'll get you a bucket," Natsu said coldly.

"A bucket? You think that's okay?"

"For you? More than."

"What is your problem?"

Natsu's tongue got sharp. "I told you. Your father. You." A sideways glance let him see her eyes fill with tears; Natsu felt immediately guilty. _Don't bother, she doesn't deserve it._ He found his mouth moving, though. "We're supposed to be meeting him later today; you won't have long to wait."

Lucy took in a short breath and spilled, "I don't want to go back."

Natsu pulled up short and looked at her. "You don't want to go back?"

Lucy's lips clamped together like she couldn't quite believe she'd spoken at all.

"Is that what your father tells you to say if this happens? And then what? He comes in with the cavalry and saves himself some money? Nice guy." Natsu tightened his hold on Lucy's arm and started pulling her more forcefully. "No, you're going to get traded. Heartfilia's going to give us the cash and he's going to give us Happy and then I'll never have to look at you again, got it?"

Lucy's frustrated cry wasn't exactly a grunt of acceptance.

Only steps from Lucy's cell, the corridor filled with Wendy's scent. The girl followed shortly after. She was in a one-piece bathing suit, a towel wrapped around her waist. At her side, Carla trod, hips twitching, as prim as they came without coming from a place like Lucy's.

Wendy looked between them. "Careful, Natsu, you'll bruise her. Zeref told her father that she wouldn't be harmed."

Natsu grumbled but loosened his grip just slightly. Wendy nodded her approval and was on the move again.

Natsu ducked into the cell just as Lucy asked, "Where are they going?"

"Swimming."

Her eyes lit up. "There's a pool?"

"Sort of," Natsu said warily, thinking of the dug catch basin they filtered rainwater into in an attempt to make the Den feel less like what it was: a dank hole in the ground that they claimed as their own.

"Well… Can I see it?"

Natsu grabbed up the plate of bacon and forced it on her. Most of the meat was gone the way of the coffee, eaten on the way here, not that she'd know the difference. "No."

Lucy's full lip came out in a pout. "Why not?"

 _Why not_? He took her hand, feeling the cut she'd made in her skin beneath the pads of his fingers, and forced her to take the plate. "You're a hostage, remember? Hostages don't get special treatment." Despite the gourmet food in front of her. Zeref _never_ let Kinana make bacon, unless it was a special occasion. _I suppose all of the millions we're about to make counts._

"Is there a fork?"

"Use your hands."

Lucy took the food and popped a piece of bacon into her mouth. She looked ravenous but ate slowly, like a lady. Natsu hated her for _that_ , too. Just because. Lucy chewed and swallowed. "If my father doesn't show up, who knows how long I'm going to be your prisoner for? The least you could do is give me something to look at other than this cell."

Natsu watched the girl's eyes trek toward the pit of shadow and he thought he knew at least part of the real reason she didn't want to stay there. "Are you scared of them?"

She filled with that softness she had, thinking he was being kind. "Yes. Can you make them go away?"

Natsu looked her over thoughtfully, getting snagged on all the things he hated. Her bottomless eyes, her ruddy cheeks, her red as a rose mouth. He imagined himself granting her wish just to show that he could. He met her eyes again and realized that Lucy caught him looking. The want to help evaporated. "I could, but I won't."

A peculiar look befell her; she stepped a little closer. Close enough he could feel her body heat through her thin and silky nightdress. "Why not?"

Beneath Natsu's collar felt hot. "Because, you brought this on yourself."

Lucy's face pinched, that sultry look going up in a cloud of smoke. "I did _not._ You broke into my home and _took me from my bed._ "

" _Your father took Happy from the street!"_ Well… from councilmen Crawford's property, actually, but who the hell was keeping track?

"Enough, Natsu."

Natsu turned and met his brother's eye. There weren't very many people in this world that could sneak up on him, but Zeref made a good play at it every now and again. _Or maybe you're just distracted._ Maybe. Zeref was as close to rage as he'd seen him in a long time. His brother waved him on. "Get out here."

Natsu wavered, on the verge of saying no just to be stubborn. Then he thought better of it and took a huge step away from Lucy. Being not in her immediate vicinity meant that his head cleared some. In the hallway, Zeref grabbed the door and yanked it closed. Then he got into Natsu's face, pushing a pointed finger sharply into his chest.

"I don't think I have to remind you that taking the Heartfilia girl was _your_ idea."

Yeah. It was. "Back when I thought she'd say something worth saying; she's mum."

"It doesn't _matter_ what she says," Zeref replied. "Her father will speak if she doesn't. Part of the condition was _having Happy return with him_. When he shows up, Happy's going to be there, too. We'll get our information, make the exchange, and make off with the cash. Be cool, Natsu."

Be cool. Right. "She's up to something. She was taking forever in the washroom and she wanted to see the basin." Spoken aloud, it didn't seem _that_ incriminating, but Natsu had always trusted his gut before, and it was telling him now that Lucy was looking for something. And he wasn't going to like what.

Zeref pushed him back none too gently. "Have you seen her? A dame like that wants only one thing: pampering. She's out of her element. She's scared and worried. Give her whatever she wants, within reason, and be nice to her, so when Heartfilia comes and he thinks about retaliating, he'll have that little dove in his ear telling him _no, daddy, they were nice to me._ Be smart about this, Natsu."

What Zeref said made sense. Natsu knew that. Yet... "These people would rather spit on us than be nice." It was easy to remember being young and homeless, reaching out for a man wearing a glinting gold watch and expensive suit, seeking his hand. Well, he got it, in the form of a slap. There was a ring on his finger, Natsu remembered. It had split the skin just under his eye. When he was a little older, craftier, Natsu had sought out Mister Doma and robbed him blind. He took that ring and wore it on his middle finger. If he ever got the opportunity, he'd repay Doma the favour.

Zeref palmed his face and made Natsu look at him. "We aren't kids any longer, Natsu. We're not helpless. That stuff happened a long time ago. All of those people got what was coming to them, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Zeref tapped his cheek gently. "Yeah. No one is going to step on us again. Take care of the Heartfilia girl for another while, alright?"

Feeling placated, Natsu nodded. "Alright."

"Good." Zeref checked his stolen watch. "In half an hour, I want you and Sting to put on something nice so Heartfilia doesn't think he's dealing with chumps, and get to the armoury. Pick out something that's going to do a lot of damage," Zeref said. "Just in case."

 _That_ was a little more like it. _I can entertain her for a bit,_ Natsu assured himself. And then it was go time.

* * *

Lucy tongued the key tucked into her cheek. It wasn't the most ideal place to put it. It was all she had. There was no stuffing it into a bra because she wasn't wearing one. No underwear, either. She had no tape to stick it to her body like Natsu accused her of last night, so… this was the final option. It made talking awkward, and it was almost too big to fit.

The door opened and Natsu came through, thumbs hooked in the black suspenders he wore. They were stark against his off-white dress shirt. He looked less furious than before, yet Lucy's anxiety still spiked. She wondered if the point of the key could be seen sticking against her cheek. She wanted to tongue it again but didn't dare. She placed the empty plate of food on the floor and faced Natsu. Her stomach was heavy; she'd eaten too fast.

Natsu didn't give her a chance to see if she could speak without slurring. "Change of plans, we're going to the basin after all."

He might have _looked_ less furious, but his voice was still short and gruff. His eyes clung to her. Lucy resisted the urge to wrap her arms around her body, thinking his obvious draw to her could be used in her favour. She tried a smile, the smile that had made countless men flounder. "Thank you." No slurring. Big win. Natsu didn't soften, exactly, but he did look away and start leading the way out. She'd take it.

The tunnel he took her through was lit with small pot lights. They weren't close enough together, so there were periods of darkness in which Lucy thought of the shadows Zeref left in her cell. Though she shivered, she was thankful for the darkness. She didn't have to answer any hard questions as she took the key from her mouth and palmed it.

"Keep up," Natsu barked when he noticed she wasn't directly at his side.

"You're walking too fast." Lucy complained, yet lengthened her steps. Padding against the barren earth, her bare feet were cold in no time. And filthy. She'd never been so dirty. She wanted a shower, and a hot meal. _But you don't want to go home._ For an instant, she felt trapped, caught between the life she had always known and the want to be free. _A shower and a warm bed isn't worth it._ No. All she had to do was think of the clumsy pawing, the late night visits that ended with sloppy kisses and tears. She automatically wrapped her hands around her chest, wishing she was smaller. Her breasts wouldn't be blocked out, there was just too much there. She hated her body for an instant, regardless of how silly that was.

"When did you say my father is coming?"

Natsu said, "We're meeting him within the hour."

 _The hour._ Gods. She was running out of time.

The corridor opened up and the basin came into view. It wasn't much, a hole dug into the ground lined with some rubber substance that stunk. The place was dank and dark and occupied. There were the two girls from earlier, the small one with blue hair and the other that looked like she belonged in a rich casino on some man's arm, not this hole in the ground. They were _in_ that gross water, splashing around and laughing. The white-haired one was the first to stop her assault, sobering when she saw Lucy and Natsu arrive.

"Is she allowed in here?"

"Carla," the blue-haired one warned.

"Well," Carla replied, "Someone has to ask to make sure she isn't tricking him."

"No one's tricking me," Natsu snapped. "Zeref said to bring her here, so here we are."

Carla harrumphed. "I don't think its wise to be showing her around this place. She's going to have lots to tell the cops when she's done."

Lucy glanced to Natsu and saw that he agreed. _And maybe I would for all the trouble they've caused and the way they've treated me,_ Lucy thought. Or maybe she would not, just to spite her father. And there was the fact that without the Den, she never would have had the opportunity to escape.

Lucy edged away from Natsu toward the water. Feet just inches away, she imagined how it would go. She was outnumbered here, and at least Natsu had some kind of magic. But she had the element of surprise. _Hit hard and fast and don't look back._ Her heart was _pounding._ _I can do this_. She inched a little closer and felt eyes on her. She glanced up and saw the blue-haired girl was watching her suspiciously.

"What are you doing?"

"I just want to wet my hands," Lucy responded.

"What is it, Wendy?" Carla asked the blue-haired girl.

Wendy said, "Why are you so nervous, Lucy?"

"Nervous?"

"I can hear your heart."

Spooky. "I'm not nervous." Lucy willed her heart to still. There was no hope.

The girl stood. "Keep her away from the water, Natsu."

He didn't even ask for clarification. He closed his hand on Lucy's elbow and tugged her back.

 _No._ Lucy saw her plan going up in smoke. "Let go of me."

"No. I think that's enough of the basin," Natsu responded. "Let's go back to your cell."

"No. I'm not done yet." Lucy wrenched out of his bruising grasp and tottered. Her foot got caught on a square of rubber and she fell hard on her butt at the same time that a sharp _pop_ was heard overhead. Everyone got still.

"What is that?" Natsu demanded, turning his ear to the side.

Lucy listened with him. The sound came again. The report of a gun was absolutely unmistakable. _They're here. The unit._ Her father. Panic rose in her chest. There wasn't any _time_ for feeling guilty. She plunged her hand into the cool water.

"Aquarius!"

The basin exploded in a gush of rising water as the celestial gate opened and the mermaid spirit came crashing out. At their backs, Wendy and Carla squealed, and beside Lucy, Natsu swore elaborately. Lucy scrabbled to her feet. She didn't need to explain anything to Aquarius, the spirit already knew. Two spouts of water materialized, one for the two girls, and one for Natsu. Both hit with bone-jarring force. Natsu splatted against the far wall, while Carla and Wendy had their feet torn out from under them. Next, the spirit directed a spout at the wall. The water eroded the soil in seconds, the force was so much, allowing the outside nighttime to filter into the Den.

Before she was done, Aquarius was attacking again, further incapacitating Lucy's captors. Lucy didn't see what happened next, she was already running, but she knew from experience that it was unpleasant. They'd be coughing water for a week. She tucked the key into her palm and said a silent thank you to the spirit. She would keep the way clear for at least a little while.

The path Aquarius had cut was a sharp incline. Beneath her was rushing water and mud. Lucy slipped in her bare feet twice, once going down so hard that she jarred her shoulder. It hurt; the will to run was more pressing than her pain. Up again, soaked and covered in thick mud, Lucy dashed as quickly as she ever had, using her nails to gain purchase when her legs abandoned her.

Coming out beneath the open sky, Lucy realized that she was in the old downtown core. Factories choked the streets, some still in operation but most abandoned. Across the road was a jet black Ford Tudor with its engine running. Lucy recognized the car. Without looking back, she took a right and started running. Not so far away, shots filled the air. Lucy ran harder, encouraged when the gunfire fell behind her. Chunks of gravel and bits of sand clung to her feet. every now and again she'd step on a piece of sharp plastic and feel it dig into her.

The Tudor revved its engine. A voice called her name. _No. No. Please._ Tires squealed, the car chasing her. Not so far away was a narrow alley. _If I can just get in there…_

It still wouldn't be enough, because Lucy stepped on a piece of glass and was further slowed. The car came to an abrupt halt, the door opened and closed, feet pounded on the pavement. And then a hand was closing on her bicep. Lucy reeled around, an animal's scream on her lips, and batted the man holding her. Gray Fullbuster was quick, catching her slap before it connected.

"Stop it, Miss Heartfilia." _Miss Heartfilia._ Not Lucy. That had stopped when Gray turned nineteen and joined the police force. It was as if they didn't play together every day for years when they were kids. He treated her like everyone else did now. "Stop running. You're okay." He tugged her in so she was far too close to him to do any damage.

"Let go of me!"

He did no such thing. "We're going to get you home. Everything's fine now."

"I won't! I won't go back to him! He's going to kill me." That was the least of her worries. "Gray, please."

The man's steps barely faltered. "You're okay. No one's going to hurt you, you're not ever going back to those people."

He didn't _understand_. Lucy let her legs go out from beneath her, thinking that would be enough to break the constable's hold on her arm. He just scooped her up, unmindful of the mud and now the blood. Her foot was gushing, though not hurting yet.

Another car pulled up to the mouth of the alley and a woman with violently red hair plaited up beneath her police issue cap stepped out. "Is she alright?"

"Confused," Constable Fullbuster said. He shuffled Lucy around and opened the car door despite her pleas and dropped her inside, then turned to the redhead. "Get in."

She looked at him warily. "Why?"

"'Cause, the Chief told you not to play cop anymore, Miss Scarlet. Get in before he sees you dug that uniform up again. And stole a car."

Numbly, Lucy watched the exchange through the window. Erza Scarlet said, "I hardly stole it. The keys were left on the countertop."

"They weren't yours and you took them without permission. Last I checked, that was stealing."

Erza was stubborn to the last. "Chief said he needed all available bodies. I was just doing my duty."

"Who's watching the station right now? Who's taking the calls and dispatching units?"

"Mirajane starts in half an hour," Erza said defensively. "Besides, you _know_ I'm good at this, Fullbuster. Give me a break." Erza was admirable, with her stubborn streak and her drive to do the rough work. Lucy wished she could borrow just a touch of Erza's brazenness and courage. _If I could, I wouldn't be stuck in here now._

A wild idea came to her. Constable Fullbuster was seemingly distracted. Lucy reached for the door handle. The chrome was smooth and cold beneath her hand. Barely daring to breathe, she inched it open. And had the door slammed just as quickly, the constable paying closer attention than what she gave him credit for.

A force that could only be an explosion rocked the Tudor on its wheels. Lucy felt Aquarius' gate snap closed, the spirit forced out of this world. Lucy got to her knees and looked out the back of the cruiser toward the tunnel she'd escaped from. Fire was in the air. _Natsu's?_ It bellowed, gaining strength.

"Get in, Erza," Fullbuster said sharply. "I promised the chief we'd get Miss Heartfilia to safety."

"What about my car?" Erza objected.

"Leave it," the man said. "We'll come back for it later. Get in the back with Miss Heartfilia."

"I'll just—"

Gunfire peppered the air. The car Erza stole lost a wheel to the arc of a bullet. " _Now,_ " Gray hollered. Erza was shocked into obeying. Lucy was jarred against the far door as Erza climbed into the backseat with her. The window behind their heads was exploded by a bullet.

Swearing heralded Gray's re-entry. He reached back and shoved his pistol into Erza's hand. "Shoot, and don't you dare tell the Chief I let you." Erza took the gun and shoved Lucy down low between the seats. The car zigzagged into motion. Lucy stared at the floorboards and listened to the symphony of both the engine and gunfire. She wondered how many people in the Den would die tonight? How many police officers? She could only spare them a second of prayer, because her own fate was quickly catching up with her.

* * *

A/N: It occurs to me that this may just be the darkest, most twisted thing I've ever written. I'm sorry. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

In the paralyzed quiet, Natsu breathed shallowly, nearly choking on dust and smoke. The grit was in his eyes and gathered at the corner of his lips. Then it was on his tongue when he foolishly tried to wet them, a nervous tick whenever he had his Tommy gun in his hand. He didn't dare to spit it out and risk exposing his position, so he swallowed it down. It tasted like iron. There was blood in the air. What he didn't taste he could smell. There was no escaping it.

To his left, across the basin, Carla took in a pained breath, unable to hold it in any longer. Natsu heard the man down the hall become completely still and knew that he was aware of their presence. Knowing there was no sense in hiding, Natsu tugged back the bolt of his gun and waited, the _click_ of it sliding into place bringing a calmness over him as it _always_ did. He surveyed his surroundings. A glance in Carla's direction revealed a girl with damp and filthy hair, her lips pressed together, eyes pinched, hands digging into her leg in hopes of staunching the flow of blood. Natsu didn't know how to break it to her: no amount of breath-holding and praying was going to shake the cop from their tail. The only way to do that was to shoot. He squeezed the pistol grip and fingered the huge reel that held the .45 calibers, counting the seconds until the man was in range. One hundred and fifty meters never seemed so far away. But that wasn't all. He had to worry about the tunnel turning, and the addition of backup, who was faster on the trigger and where exactly it was that accuracy and carnage met in the perfect symphony of destruction.

The man took another step, this time knocking a tiny piece of shattered concrete their way with the toe of his shiny police-issue combat boot. Using the sound, Natsu triangulated his location, then confirmed by peeking around the corner. He had a second's time to process the scene, then he was falling back, a bullet whizzing by his face, taking a chunk of dirt wall with it.

In that split second, Natsu used the only light he could: streetlamp shine that came through the hole Lucy had used her mermaid to carve out. In the paleness, he caught sight of a silhouette of a man and knew it was an enemy only because he saw the police hat on his head. There was no thought that went through his mind in the next few seconds. He hefted the surprisingly heavy Tommy gun and rolled his shoulders along the wall, fully exposing himself. Butt-end tight against his shoulder, Natsu squeezed the trigger, barely aiming.

 _Pop. Pop. Pop._ It was a surprisingly gentle sound, considering the bullets tore so thoroughly through the man's chest. Stuck standing, he juddered. Natsu couldn't help but think of _Scarface._ Seeing Paul Muni gun down that guy in that hospital bed, he felt just as brutal and just as justified. These people hurt his family. These people destroyed his home. These people just took the only lead he had. He was going to cut through every single one of them until he found Heartfilia's girl again, and _then_ …

Things weren't going to go so nice for her this time.

A bullet sped by, nicking Natsu's ear. At first, it didn't hurt, but it bled like a sonofabitch. His shoulder was soaked by the time he took his finger off the trigger so he didn't cut Carla in two and turned. He found his attacker, a man with a lit cigarette jammed into his mouth. Natsu was in the man's sights, for real this time. He got ready to dive. He was too slow. Zeref wasn't, though. Stepping out of a copse of shadow, his brother lifted his six-shot Colt Python revolver and shot the man at close range. The cop fell, totally limp, his own gun skidding across the ground.

As cool as a cat, Zeref lifted his gaze and found Natsu. "Alright?"

Natsu let out a breath that could have been considered nervous. "Yeah. Carla's hurt. And Wendy…" He didn't know _where_ she went.

"I tugged Wendy out of here and holed her up a few minutes ago to keep her safe." Couldn't have their only healer in the line of danger after all. "One of Heartfilia's lackeys picked Lucy up and made off with her. I shot out one of their tires and the back window, but I couldn't get him."

Natsu suppressed a frustrated growl.

"The place is clear now," Zeref continued, "Heartfilia's guys are either dead or they took off, but we need to get out of here, over to Industrial."

Their place on Industrial smelled like a printing press because it was in an old printing factory. Ink and toner and other chemicals constantly burned Natsu's nose whenever Zeref made him check in on the distillery they had set up there. It wasn't a very large operation, not making them a lot of money, but it was enough to warrant keeping it running. To Natsu's chagrin.

"Come on." Zeref crossed the room and gathered Carla up. The girl had passed out seconds ago. Natsu didn't need a lot of light to see how white she was. Her skin was almost as pale as her hair.

"All of our stuff..." The Den was their home.

"We'll get it later, Natsu. Now come on, before the bastard sends more guys to flush out the rats," Zeref replied.

Natsu summoned his resolve by tightening his hold on his favorite weapon and followed Zeref into a pit of shadow, but not before he grabbed the downed constable, soiled hat and all, and dragged him in, too. His uniform was going to come in handy.

* * *

While it didn't take long to get out of the line of fire, the Tudor looked worse for wear, Lucy was sure, a little breezier for the altercation with a few new holes shot through the sturdy steel. She didn't get out from between the seats until they came to Union Street, and then it was only because Gray came to a screeching stop and her mind was starting to go through all of the ways she could ditch him. Rolling out of the moving vehicle at high speed had crossed her mind, but if she could do it while they were stopped, bully for her.

Gray wrenched around in the driver's seat and hit Erza with a withering glare. "Give me the keys to that cruiser, then get out, Erza. Put that dress and those heels back on, throw out that goddamn uniform, and _stop playing constable._ Or the Chief's going to fire you." His eyes slid to Lucy. "And maybe me, too."

Lucy knew what was coming as soon as Erza stepped out. ' _Please don't tell your father, Lucy, it was a one-time thing, Erza didn't know what she was doing.'_ She felt a sudden and _mean_ urge to say something anyway, just to get back at Gray. It passed in a wash of shame. She wasn't petty like that, right?

She _was_ desperate to get out, though.

Erza was saying, "If he'd just let me do this, I wouldn't have to resort to stealing uniforms and cars, Gray."

"Dames smile, Erza, they take notes. They make calls. They look smoking hot behind the desks because even the skids that come into the station know to have a shred of decency when in a lady's presence."

Lucy could practically _feel_ Erza's irritation as she said, "You don't actually _believe_ that crud?"

Gray shrugged. "What I believe doesn't matter. Just stop. I can't keep covering for you." He seemed to realize what he said and shot another look Lucy's way like she was going to telephone her father _right there_ and tell him verbatim what Gray was saying. Lucy stopped inching her hand toward the door.

Gray saw what she was doing and watched her more carefully after that. "Hurry up, Erza, before someone sees us."

Erza sighed hugely. "One day _I'm_ going to be running the force, Fullbuster, and _you're_ going to be the one sitting behind the desk in a fucking dress."

Gray didn't flinch with her harsh language. Lucy did, though. Erza gave her a fleeting, apologetic look, then threw open the door and left in a swirl of indignation. Gray looked after her for just a little too long. Lucy used his distraction to edge her hand toward the handle once more.

"Do I have to cuff you, Miss Heartfilia?" Gray asked dryly. "I don't want to, but I will."

Lucy summoned up every ounce of authority she could. "I want you to drive me to my summer home in Clover. Now." There, she could get clothing and money and _leave_ before her father was any wiser.

Gray turned around and threw the car into drive. The huge engine rumbled. Lucy gripped the cloth seats beneath her body and chewed her cheek liberally, for an instant hoping that he was listening. Then the car turned down Morning Glory Avenue and she tore a page out of Erza's book and swore. " _Please_ , Gray. Please. Please. Just take me to Clover. I'll get out, and you can tell my father that I escaped. He won't blame you."

They both knew he would.

Gray's eyes met hers in the rear view mirror. "You know you'll be safe now, Miss Heartfilia, your father—"

"It's Lucy, Gray," the girl spat, annoyed. Honestly. He used to be her best friend. He was the first boy she kissed. He was the first boy she fell in love with, too, in a childish way when she was ten. The crush passed, as they often did, but it was still real. Which meant she thought their friendship went deeper than this. "Miss Heartfilia is for my father's brainless pawns unless you want to clump yourself in with them?"

Gray clamped his lips together. He was quiet for a while. When he spoke again, he said, "Lucy." It sounded like it caused him physical pain just to spit out her name. She gave him brownie points for trying, though. "We're getting you home. Miss Porlyusica is there ready to treat any injuries you have, and then your father is taking you someplace safe until we can round up the rest of the Den members. He wants to make an example out of them so you never have to go through this again. You'll be safe."

Lucy threw herself back against the seat and glowered at the man ahead of her. She muttered, "I was safer at the Den."

Gray met her eyes again; there was concern on his face. "Why would you say that?"

Lucy imagined telling him everything. The thought made her nervous and sick to her stomach. She told herself it was because she didn't trust Gray, not as much as she would have liked, but it was also because, in some twisted way, a tiny part of her still wanted to believe in her father. She wanted to love him. She wanted him to be better. _Like one day he's going to wake up and realize that what he's doing is wrong. He'll feel ashamed and he'll stop._ There would be no apologies because they'd both be too embarrassed, but they'd _move on._ He'd hug her and she wouldn't be afraid of wandering hands. He'd kiss her cheek and not her lips, lingering too long. He'd come up behind her to fix the bow on her dress to _actually_ fix it, not tug it loose then press his hips into her backside when he was hard and eager.

"Lucy?"

She blinked, realizing that Gray was still waiting for an answer. She opened her mouth. She even had the proper words in place, though there was no _elegant_ way to say them. Then she imagined her father in ruination as soon as the truth came out and felt herself foolishly stumble. It was easier to slip into the night, pretend that none of this ever happened, then to face the ugly truth of it. It was bad enough that her spirits knew. There wasn't much she could hide from them, though, not when they were so connected.

The Tudor slowed and eased into a turn. The mansion came into view. Lucy felt all of her conviction wither weakly.

"Lucy, if something's going on, I need to know," Gray said.

 _And if you did tell him?_ He was her father's lapdog. Would he believe her? "How much do you like your job at the constabulary, Gray?"

He slowed the car further, considering his answer. "You know it's the only thing I've ever wanted to do."

Yeah. _Constable Fullbuster._ He even gave up their friendship to pursue his dream. "Take me inside." _You can avoid Father for tonight, right? And the one after that?_ Her skin _crawled_ just thinking about it.

"You can't drop something like that, Lucy, and then just say, 'Take me inside,'." His breathy impersonation of her was spot-on and absolutely annoying. Lucy crossed her arms over her breasts and leaned her forehead against the window. There were tears trapped somewhere inside. She couldn't make them come out.

"Lucy?"

"Just forget about it."

"I'm going to have to if you don't speak up."

She was silent.

The car rolled to a stop out front of the elaborately carved marble entryway. Gray got out and opened Lucy's door and gathered her into his arms again. Lucy realized as she was moved that she couldn't have made a run for it anyway, her foot hurt too much. There was still a shard of glass embedded in it, she'd bet. The back of the car was red with her blood.

"Your backseat is ruined."

"We've got cleaners," Gray replied.

Lucy turned her face away from him so she could instead study her approaching fate.

The door opened for them when they were still steps away. Jude Heartfilia stepped out, a frantic look on his face that only seemed to _increase_ when he saw Lucy's state. For all her father's faults, she could say one thing: he loved her in some perverse way. Or he loved who he could pretend she was.

" _Lucy_." His voice was strained. "I've been worried sick."

"I got her running on the street," Gray reported. "She managed to get herself out of the Den before we had a chance to break in."

"That's my daughter," Jude said quietly, voice choked with pride. "Resourceful." His eyes moved to Lucy's arm and his joyous expression muted. "You cut out your lacrima, though." He fixed her with a gaze that was both challenging and appraising. "You know you need it to dampen your magic, Lucy, otherwise it could hurt you."

Yes, the perpetual lie that he told his staff to ensure that she always had that damned dampening lacrima embedded in her skin. Lucy didn't reply. She couldn't.

"I'll take her from here." Jude held out his arms. Gray hesitated for a whole second in which Lucy thought he was going to refuse. But no, not Gray. He handed her off gently like she was an already fractured china egg.

"Excellent work, Fulmen," Jude said absently. "I see good things in your future."

Gray still smiled and said, "Thank you, Sir."

* * *

Lucy prepared herself for anything, feeling her father's hand on her back and on her leg, warm and sweaty, his heart thundering through his pressed vest. "You'll get your suit dirty if you carry me." It was a poor attempt to convince the man to let her down. He did no such thing.

"It doesn't matter, Lucy." The hand on her leg squeezed. "I'm going to get you upstairs. We'll get Porlyusica to fix you up, then we'll draw a bath."

Lucy thought she knew what that meant. "I can do it myself."

"What kind of father would I be if I let you, though?" Jude queried. Lucy thought of a myriad of replies, none of which were very kind. She was quiet. Jude let some of his act slip and asked seriously, "Where is her key?"

Lucy glanced up into his face. He'd shaved that morning, as he did _every_ morning, so his skin was still smooth save for that perpetual mustache, the one that often dug into her skin. Maybe it was her imagination, but around his eyes looked as though there were a few more crow's feet. The thought of losing her must have kept him awake for more than a few hours.

"Lucy? Answer me. Where is her key?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Her father glanced down at her. His hazel eyes held a diamond edge to them. "You know. Aquarius. Where is it?"

"I don't have it," she lied.

"All of your other keys are in my possession, even the ones you tried to hide. Tell me, Lucy, so I don't have to be cruel."

Lucy knew that tone. "If I give it to you… Can I have my keys back once the lacrima is back?" Being mostly severed from her spirits was a small price to pay for their safety, wasn't it?

There was little hesitation. "Yes."

"You promise?"

He softened. "I swear it, Lucy."

As they turned down the hall into the master bedroom, Lucy untucked her hand from her ribs, the one that held the last golden key in her custody. Her father took her to the room's red Kroehler sofa and lowered her gingerly to the surface. Then he crouched before her and left his hands on her thighs. It was like every touch had to be something _more._ His fingers inched higher. Lucy offered Aquarius' key just to distract him. Its effect was marginal. He took it and placed it on the cushion next to Lucy, then went right back to studying her. To _touching_ her. "I was worried about you."

Lucy's heart constricted as she recognized that look on his face. The urge to run settled deep in her bones. Fear for her spirits and pain in her foot kept her where she was. "I was fine."

"The Dragon's Den is going to regret their attack on you. My men are expelling the scourge from the city even as we speak. You don't have to be afraid, but just as extra assurance, know that once we get you cleaned up, we're going to Clover, Lucy. We're going to stay there until we're sure that this storm has passed."

"I don't want to go to Clover." Not with her father.

His fingers squeezed through her thin and dirty nightdress into her thighs, thumbs inching too high. "I'll protect you, don't worry, Lucy. Nothing will harm you."

 _Until you're ready to try to bring Mom back._ She didn't know which option was worse, that or if he decided that she was good enough. Lucy chewed her cheek. _Magnolia is a bigger city than Clover._ Easier to get lost in. _And you could use this feud with the Dragon's Den to your advantage._ "I'm afraid they'll never stop, no matter where we go. They're looking for a boy named Happy."

Jude shook his head. "Rats looking for rats."

Lucy pulled through on her promise to Natsu and asked, "Did you take him?"

"Why would I take a little scat like that, Lucy?" Jude asked.

They both _knew_ why. Lucy dug her fingers into the soft fabric beneath her bottom and held her breath. "Please, Daddy, I know you miss Mom, but—"

Anger marched across his face, stoppering Lucy's words. Jude used movement to dispel the emotion instead of lashing out. He'd never hurt her. Not like that. He loved her too much. From beneath the couch he pulled out a small wooden box stocked with both tracking and magic-draining lacrima. He chose them at random then turned back to Lucy. "If that boy is missing, he's either in a canal because he's indulged too much in something he shouldn't or he's arrested, and if he's arrested it's because he deserved to be. Now enough about that."

Lucy dug her heels in. "You don't have to pretend. I know you're collecting them and using them to try to bring her back. A life for a life. I saw the notes."

He met her gaze with his cold hazel eyes. "Everything will be better soon."

"What if it's not?"

He touched her cheek and searched her eyes. He offered no response, but Lucy didn't _need_ one, she read him clear enough. He'd always have her. Until he decided what she already had: _she_ was the key.

"Please, Daddy."

Jude squeezed her leg then stood and went to the phone on the wall. He swiped in a number quickly and pressed the receiver to his ear. After a moment he said, "Send Porlyusica up. My daughter has come home and needs medical attention. Tell her to bring her stitching kit."

* * *

 _"Please, Miss Porlyusica. Don't. I don't want the lacrima. I don't need it."_

" _Are you sure this is necessary?"_

 _"Yes. I told you, she's confused, Porlyusica. Without that magic-draining lacrima, she'll hurt herself. Remember what happened last time?"_

 _"…Yes, Mr. Heartfilia."_

No matter how many times Lucy played the conversation in her mind and re-evaluated the scenario, she couldn't think of a way out. So she sat primly with tears streaming down her face and waited for Porlyusica to finish her stitches and was sad when she was done, even though that meant an end to the stinging. Her arm received a hefty amount of some cream that smelled like roses gone rancid, so did her foot. Both were bandaged.

Porlyusica opened her time-cracked mouth and said, "With this cream, you should be healed within a day, Miss Heartfilia, but that doesn't mean you can go crazy. When you have a bath, be sure to keep the wounds dry. I'll check them again tomorrow and apply some more cream if you need it."

"Unnecessary," Jude replied. "I'll do it for her."

"No offence, Mr. Heartfilia, but you are no doctor, nor are you a nurse."

"I'm more than capable of applying cream, Porlyusica," Jude replied sharply. "Leave us."

The woman looked like she had something nasty to say. By some grace, she held it back and left. A plea was on Lucy's lips when that failed, she scrambled for some wild excuse to make Porlyusica linger a little longer like maybe something else hurt or she was feeling sick. She didn't get a chance to think of something good before the bedroom door closed and she was alone with her father once more.

Jude took Aquarius' key from the cushion and dropped it on his dresser, then returned for Lucy and gathered her up once more and carted her into the bathroom. After placing Lucy on the side of the tub, he started pouring a bath, keeping the water hot. He added vanilla bubble bath.

"Your favourite. You'll feel better once you have a soak, Lucy. I'll get you something new to wear."

Something that met his approval. Lucy plucked at her nightgown nervously and wished for Loke. She could feel him faintly. He was annoyed and frantic.

"Then I'll have the chefs whip you up a meal while your maid packs. We'll be on the road within two hours."

All Lucy cared about was, "When can I have my keys back?"

"Soon." He stood and caressed her filthy hair. "I'll help you undress."

He was stiff, Lucy could see him pressing against his pants. She didn't _want_ to look but couldn't help it, either. A twang of revulsion rocketed through her. "I can do it on my own."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're hurt. You've been through a lot. Let me help you."

He sounded so reasonable and kind. Lucy knew that wasn't at the head of his actions, though. He wanted something from her. Always. _No. Not tonight. Please._ "Please, Daddy." He hated when she called him that, she could see it on his face. It was a reminder of the line he was crossing. She only ever used that title now, it seemed to be the only thing that could hamper his want. "I just… I want to do it myself." She offered something else, too. "I don't want to feel helpless anymore."

He released a breath and cupped her cheek in his sweaty palm. "Very well. If you need me, I won't be far." Then he pressed his mouth to the corner of hers in a chaste kiss. That's how it always started as if he had to gear himself up for the real thing. Lucy was stiff, wondering if she stayed still long enough if he'd just go away. Of course not. His lips inched a little closer, lining their mouths up a little better. His mustache pricked Lucy's skin. Tears burned her eyes.

"Sir." Gray's voice was unmistakable. Jude released Lucy and stood straight, a stricken expression on his face that only eased away when he realized that Gray wasn't right behind them, as he feared, but still in the main room.

"Mr. Heartfilia?"

Lucy watched the strain on the front of her father's pants lessen. Fear was an excellent libido crusher. "What is it, Fulmen?"

"It's Fullbuster," Lucy couldn't help but correct. She didn't dampen her voice, either, deciding her father needed some humility. He shot her an annoyed look just as Gray appeared in the doorway. He was pale and uncomfortable looking. He glanced at Lucy briefly, and then away again in a way that made her believe he might have been present for a little longer than he let on—seen a little more than he should have.

Gray schooled his features and said, "Sorry to interrupt, Sir, I just wanted to let you know, the Den has been cleared out. I just got a report from Strauss now. He says a few of the dragons were hurt, but he hasn't been able to find any bodies yet."

Lucy felt a small hope bloom in her chest. She crushed it. What should she care if any of the people that kidnapped her and tried to ransom her lived or died? They were horrible. Unbidden, an image of Natsu softening just slightly came to her. She quashed the empathetic feeling that tried to follow the image. That being said, she'd pay almost anything to be in that room with the pit of shadows, though, even if it meant peeing on the floor and eating eggs with her hands.

"Like rats," Jude said. "Don't worry. They'll hide but resurface again, mark me, and when they do I want them brought in by any means necessary." He pointed a stubby finger in Gray's direction. "Especially the Dragneels."

"Yes, Sir. Also, Mines and Alors are missing. We're working on finding them, but chances are they're dead."

Jude nodded. "Get confirmation and let me know. I'll notify their families myself."

"Yes, Sir."

Gray was a _Yes, Sir_ man now. It made Lucy feel ill. No matter how accusingly she looked at him, he wouldn't meet her gaze. She wanted to scream _why won't you help me_ , but sitting here in her father's bathroom was proof enough that she wouldn't help herself. _Maybe you don't_ want _to. Maybe you like it._ That, too, made her feel ill. More tears came to her. She felt her lip wobble and found someplace else to look.

"You'll hear from me shortly." With that, Gray's police-issue boots clopped over the floor, carrying him away. Goodbye, help.

Jude glanced back at Lucy. "Freshen up, Lucy. And don't worry, you're safe."

Safe was a relative term.

* * *

Natsu tugged on the double breasted police-issue coat and adjusted it around his shoulders. It didn't fit quite right, just a little too tight here and there.

Zeref entered the giant distillery room just as Natsu secured his pants. "Thought I told you to take that off?"

Natsu buttoned the bottom of his jacket, keeping his eyes on the dusty concrete floor. "And I told you, I'm not letting this go. You said you wanted to get back at him, right? You said you were on board with getting Heartfilia's girl back here with us. You said you wanted _double_ her ransom."

"When the hell did I say that?"

Natsu paused his frantic buttoning to glance at his brother from beneath his lashes. "I heard you talking to Sting."

Zeref scrubbed his face. "Natsu…"

"Don't try to lie. Know that I'm not a kid anymore. I'm going in, with or without your blessing, Zeref."

The man heaved a sigh. "Fine. You're right, I was saying that stuff to Sting, but I want to send someone else. Rogue's a little thinner through the shoulders, he'll fit into that suit," Zeref said. "And, Heartfilia won't be looking for him."

"Seriously? You were trying to pull this off without me?" Natsu was angry all over again.

Zeref didn't apologize. "Be smart."

 _Be smart._ That was his go-to. Like Natsu _could_ put aside his headstrongness and _think_ as coolly as he could.

Zeref continued. "The uniform doesn't even fit."

And the hat was still wet. Wendy had taken it upon herself to wash it clean of Constable Mine's brains. Natsu could still smell the blood. It was the kind of thing soap just couldn't get out. "You know I'm the only one who's been there before. I got this."

"Rogue can move through the shadows," Zeref said convincingly. "It'll be safer."

"Lucy doesn't know Rogue."

"Yeah. She doesn't hate him, either," Zeref replied. He nodded to the uniform. "Take it off." Louder, he called, "Rogue!"

"Zeref," Natsu hissed.

Suddenly intense, Zeref grabbed him by the lapel and pulled him in close. "Don't 'Zeref' me, Natsu. This is fucking _hard,_ okay? You're my little brother. You think I want to send you off into Heartfilia's mansion after _that_ shitshow?" He stuck his hand into the uniform's pocket and pulled out the little pistol Natsu had stashed inside. "And with only a fucking Barretta in your pocket as back up? You think I'm crazy?"

Natsu met his brother's eyes, too mad just yet to see into Zeref's concern. "I don't ever ask for anything, Zeref. I want this, though, and whether you okay it or not, I'm taking it."

Zeref snorted like a bull. The shadows in the distillery bent toward him, agitated that he was agitated. It took several long seconds of intense staring before Zeref could summon some control. He breathed deeply. "You're taking Rogue with you."

"I don't need—"

Zeref tugged him back in so they were nose-to-nose again. "You do because I say you do." Usually, Natsu's brother was calm and in control, but the man that had placed the pistol against Constable Mine's head and tugged the trigger coldly was long, long gone. Now he was a restless mess, his magic barely contained. He was rattled. Heartfilia was _never supposed to know_ the location of the Den, but now he had and their seat of power was torn out from beneath them. Natsu got it. It had been a long, long time since they'd been fully in the cop's sights. The last time he could think of was when Zeref was arrested for assault after finishing a bar fight Natsu started five years before. He hadn't been held long, three days because Natsu managed to scrounge up some cash to bail him out, but it was long enough that other gangs were starting to think that the Dragon's could be trifled with. Recovering from that had taken months. What would something like this cost them? it would take a long time to convince everyone they weren't all dead. Unless they could pull off something fantastic, like steal Heartfilia's daughter and rob him blind of all his gold. _And_ have Happy returned to them. They'd be _legends._

"Fine. I'll take Rogue. But if he gets in my way—"

"Then what, Natsu?" Zeref challenged. "You'll throw him to the cops and let him fend for himself?"

It was obvious Zeref was looking for a fight. Natsu mostly wanted to give it to him. There were other things to think about, though. Like getting to the Heartfilia mansion and taking back what was taken from him. Never mind that he took it first. _While we're there, we'll search for Happy, too_. He didn't share that with his brother, knowing Zeref's response already. Rogue wouldn't know, though. He'd listen, he always did.

"Well?" Zeref barked.

"No," Natsu said finally in a way that was supposed to be reassuring. It worked. Some of Zeref's anger bled away. "We'll come back, both of us, and we'll have Lucy with us. This time I'm going to make sure she doesn't have her spirits, and I'm going to watch her all day and all night. Heartfilia won't get our location from her. If he finds us, it's because we have a rat."

Zeref still looked disinclined so Natsu pressed. "We can keep this from going bad, but you gotta let me go now, Zeref."

Zeref's grip loosened a fraction. Natsu grabbed his wrists and encouraged the other man to release him completely. That wasn't the biggest problem, though, it was the gun. Zeref had a death grip on it, even when Natsu wriggled it in his grasp.

"You should have something bigger."

"Walk in with a Tommy?" Natsu asked with a raise of his brow. "Not suspicious."

 _That_ seemed to make Zeref see reason. He let the weapon go, trading that for Natsu's shoulder. He dragged him in roughly. "I swear if you don't come back…"

"I will," Natsu said.

Zeref tapped his cheek. "No grievers."

"No grievers," Natsu repeated a Den dirge that was supposed to instill some sort of confidence. After all, no one could grieve for you if you returned in one piece.

* * *

A/N: In a few days' time, head on over to SleeplessComplication's profile to read a bomb-ass Christmas-inspired (can I say that? It feels like poison. It's going to be tainted and not very Christmassy at all) story. Seriously. It's going to be glorious. In the most twisted way possible. Because that's how I roll. I mean, how SleeplessComplication rolls. ;)

Thanks so much for reading, guys. I really super appreciate it.

-Freyja


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy almost didn't hear the tapping on the bathroom door over the loud suck of the bathwater draining. She stared at the barrier for what felt like a long time, deciding on what to do. Beneath her, the bathmat was soaked, all of the water running off her skin and staining the light blue rug dark.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

 _It's Dad. He wants something._ Lucy knew what _something_ meant. ' _Touch it.' 'Kiss me.'_ Mauling. Disgusting. _I won't._ She entertained drowning herself. Throwing herself out the window. Locking herself in the washroom long enough to find a straight razor and do some serious damage.

"Miss Heartfilia?"

All of the tension went out of the girl's shoulders. She went to the door and opened it for the waiting servant, Miss Gloss, a pretty middle-aged woman with kind blue eyes and light brown hair shot through with silver.

Though she was happy to see her, Lucy said, "I thought my father was bringing me my things?"

Miss Gloss cast her eyes to the ground. "It's improper for a young lady to be seen like this by any man that's not her husband."

Antiquated. Lucy still felt like hugging her. The urge passed. "Thank you." She took the pink material. The woman nodded her head and retreated again. Because her foot hurt, Lucy dressed awkwardly. It was still faster than usual; she was eager to get out of there. The nightdress her father had chosen was one of his favorites of Layla's collection. Pink chiffon, long, deeply V'd in the bust, cut so low that the bottoms of her breasts were on display. There was a cute little bow down low between her breasts. Lucy used to like it. Those days were gone.

She left the towel where it was, draped over the toilet, and raced from the bathroom with all the speed of an injured turtle. Her father's bedroom was empty. Her keys were still on the dresser. Lucy snatched them, feeling the heat in the metal though it had been a long time since they'd laid upon her skin, and put them around her neck on the gold chain they'd come off of. She was on the move again, over the plush carpet, into the oak floor hallway, and down seven doors to her room. Down below, she could hear her father speaking to someone about security detail and departure times. She didn't need anyone to tell her she didn't have much time.

Though the need to rush was overwhelming; Lucy slowed right down, closing her bedroom door as quietly as she could, tiptoeing over her carpet, avoiding squeaky floorboards. She went for the closet, leaving off every light except for that one and only because she could close the door, wanting to delay the moment her father came looking for her. Amongst all of the clothes she didn't truly need but her father bestowed upon her, she stood on tiptoe and reached, reached for her duffle bag. She wasn't quite tall enough. It fell, dragging down photos and letters she'd written to her mother, things inside that she never wanted to tell anyone. Lucy considered picking them up and stuffing them in her bag so no one would ever know. There was no time. She started grabbing clothes at random. Dresses, and dresses and dresses, some skirts, a blouse or two. Her whole underwear drawer. Two pairs of shoes: the flattest high heels she owned (a pair of black and white polka dot pumps with a large red bow on the top), and a pair of maroon Mary Jane's. Because of the heels, neither were good for escape. They were the best she had. The Mary Jane's went on her feet, the pumps in her bag. Next, she grabbed the small stash of money she'd stolen from her father and put it at the very bottom of the duffle.

She was about to shuck off her nightdress in favour of something a little more street-worthy when she heard the slight squeal her door made whenever it was opened. Her spine got as rigid as a stick. Her hand went immediately to her throat, where her keys lay between her breasts. She clutched the warm metal and imagined what she'd do _. Fight_ , she thought fiercely. _Run_ , said another, softer part of her. She had her keys; she couldn't open a gate, but she could run away and not fear for her spirits.

 _You'll never get past him without a fight, though. You know that. Are you ready?_

She didn't know.

A foot landed on one of the boards outside the closet, making it yelp. Its owner cussed beneath his breath, too quiet for Lucy to hear anything other than the low intonation of his voice. There was something that was clear, however: he was trying to be quiet. _God._ Lucy's skin crawled, her heart beat faster than a jackrabbit's, threatening to explode as he moved closer and closer, in motion again and less quiet than before.

 _This is it. Do something._

As quietly as she could, she grabbed a croquet bat from the corner of the closet and snuck to the door. There she gripped the wood in her free hand and summoned her courage, planning her course of action.

 _Just go out swinging_. Straightforward and abrupt was best, in her opinion. She didn't get a chance, though, the door ripped back out of her hands and she still hadn't brought the bat up to swing. Knee-jerk, Lucy sucked in a startled breath and attempted to release it in a scream. Before that could happen, a hand clamped on her wrist and on her mouth and a familiar voice hissed, "Sh."

Lucy squinted in the dim light, making out Gray's police issue hat and the silver badge that marked him as a constable. The silver cross around his neck really gave him away. She relaxed and the hand on her mouth disappeared. "What the hell are you doing?"

Gray looked over his shoulder, hearing a sharp noise downstairs: someone dropped something. Silence. Then the voices resumed their conversation. He whispered, "I had to talk to you."

Lucy jerked out of his grasp and went back for her duffle bag. "I don't have time."

"Lucy…"

"Suddenly you remember my name?" It was mean and unfair. Gray looked properly shamed. Lucy didn't give him a chance to apologize. "How did you get up here?"

"I used the secret way."

The secret way: a series of vines and lattices and ladders, rooftops and tree branches. A route that took a person all around the mansion in a very non-direct way, but a way that bypassed the servant quarters, her father's study, his bedroom and the kitchens. "I didn't think you'd remember."

Gray wasn't in much of the mood for reminiscing. "Was he kissing you?"

Lucy stilled, hand on her bag, and felt her face and her neck heat. Her first response was to laugh it off. Deny it. Keep the secret. It wasn't something that wanted to be kept anymore. "You saw?"

"I don't know, Lucy. What the hell was that?"

"He misses her." It was easier to say looking at the back wall of her closet, without Gray looking into her eyes.

His next words were said incredulously. "Your mom?"

"Yes." Lucy waited for him to call her a liar, for him to say that she was disgusting. For him to tell her all the things she'd dreamed of hearing, and all the things she never wanted to hear.

He grabbed her hand and brought her back around. "For how long?"

Lucy found somewhere else to look. "Two years maybe?" Two years of him building himself up to touching her. First, it was simple things, like sitting her down and brushing her hair, hugs that lasted longer than they should, kisses that got increasingly less fatherly. It really started to go downhill when he started coming into her bedroom at night and tickling her back, her arms, her middle, edging closer and closer to where he wasn't supposed to be and then afterward, sneaking into her ensuite bathroom to pleasure himself with the door open. Then, when she was too scared to stop him and didn't know how, he started touching her for real, thinking it was okay. Her breasts first and then everything else.

Gray squeezed her wrist. "Lucy…"

Tears came to her eyes.

Gray looked around her to the duffle bag and the disarray that was her closet. "You're getting out of here?"

"I'm going to try. If I'm not caught." She looked at him suspiciously.

"I won't say anything. But where are you going to go?"

"I don't know," Lucy admitted.

"You can't wander the streets, Lucy. Another group like the Den will pick you up and you'll be right back to where you started."

Frustration tried to take her. Lucy pushed it down. "I'll figure it out."

Gray rooted through his pocket and came out with a keyring complete with a Bullwinkle J. Moose figure in a police uniform. "Here. It's for the cottage on Rosewood. You can crash there for a few days. I'll… I'll try to get out there, Lucy. And we can figure it out. There's food, and there's money under the third floorboard from the door in my room, alright? If you need to, you can go to the shop and pick up some groceries."

"If my dad catches you, you'll be fired." Lucy didn't think she needed to remind him.

He honestly looked torn. Then he summoned his resolve. "Yeah."

Suddenly, it was like the last few years of drifting apart hadn't happened. He was her best friend again. Her heart swelled several sizes. "Thank you." She took the key; it was cold from his skin. She grabbed up her duffle again and tried to move past Gray, the need to leave pressing down on her.

"Lucy." Gray grabbed her hand again and placed something cold and hard into her palm. She almost dropped it as soon as she identified it.

"I can't."

He ignored her. "There's six shots. Don't try anything fancy. Anyone comes after you, you let them get close. Real close. Aim for their chest. Or their guts."

"Please." She tried to let it go and retract her hand. Gray forced her to keep her hold.

"You need to protect yourself. Anyone sees a dame like you running through the streets dressed like that, they're going to think you're easy pickings. Take it. Don't stop and talk to anyone."

Downstairs, the front door closed. Lucy's heart went into her throat. Gray, too, looked on the verge of collapse. "Come on."

Lucy clutched her prize and didn't look back, following Gray out of her bedroom into the one next door, a guest room with a window that opened to a narrow flat roof. From there, she could go along the mansion until she reached a huge maple. Dashing down it in her nightdress and high heels wouldn't be easy, but she'd done it before. Next would be another jaunt across the roof to the other side of the mansion, to the lattice skating down the side. And then… grass. All she had to do after that was race over the lawn unseen by her father's guards. And then she was free.

It seemed impossible.

And kept seeming that way until she and Gray parted ways at the gate, him going for his cruiser, and Lucy running for the train station, her keys jangling in proclamation with every step.

* * *

Moving through the shadows with Rogue's magic was both more efficient and infinitely more disorienting. Homochromous, dark, ethereal. Natsu's grip on the shoulder of Rogue's stolen uniform, taken from another dead cop just like Natsu's, was the only thing that kept him from slipping away into the featureless nothing that was inky shadow and all the spaces between.

His magic rolled them through the gates, past a speeding Tudor with a busted out rear window, up the manicured lawn and between the topiaries made to look like bunnies and stars and other unimaginative, generic things. The lights that were supposed to keep criminals out cast countless shadows for Rogue to use. They trundled up the side of the mansion, slipping from one creeper leaf shadow to the other, zigzagging like no man was ever meant to, to the balcony outside of Lucy's bedroom. There, on the poured concrete between Rose of Sharon bushes, they stepped out of nowhere and into the real world.

Immediately, Lucy's scent assaulted Natsu, her perfume getting in his nose. Jasmine. For the most infinitesimal of seconds, he closed his eyes and brought her image to mind. Hair so golden, it looked like smelters poured it out of the pots, curves so soft and full, it looked like God had moulded them himself, honey coloured eyes wide and dark lashed and—

Natsu shook his head. He wasn't a romantic. A squeeze of his Barretta helped affirm that. He was here to catch the girl that wrecked his home, almost had Carla killed, and nearly had his ear shot off. He adjusted Constable Mines hat on his head, smelling all the blood. That rooted him in reality.

A cracking and familiar voice coming from the room beyond injected fear in Natsu's heart. "What do you mean, she's not in the house?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I checked. All of the rooms have been scoured, the gardens, the menagerie."

"Search the grounds, Justine."

"Sir."

Footsteps retreated. Natsu counted the breaths, seven in total. When he felt it was safe, he grabbed the balcony door and slid it open as quietly as possible. Lucy's smell hit him harder. He stepped into a room illuminated by a single lamp beside her made bed. One of her servants had turned the room since she went missing. As he walked by, he couldn't help but brush his fingers over the blue comforter, feeling the silks. They were probably the finest a dog like him would ever touch.

"Heartfilia's girl flew the coop."

"Might be a bit," Natsu said. Coming from a slimy weasel like Jude Heartfilia, Natsu wouldn't put a gig like that past him.

Rogue replied, "Nah. You heard as well as I did, Heartfilia sounded frantic."

Natsu whiffed the air. Jasmine. Jasmine. Jasmine. Pomade. His nose brought him into the closet where it looked as though a tornado had moved through. Dresser drawers were thrown open, clothes were missing from the hangers, a mess of papers was thrown on the ground. The pomade was stronger in here. And cologne. Something not too rich, but not cheap either. "Lady Heartfilia had a male caller." The pang of disappointment was as tangible as it was annoying. He buried it beneath his anger.

"Looks like she was in a rush to get out of here."

Natsu agreed, however, he tried to remain impartial, looking over the larger-than-his-bedroom closet with a critical eye. He'd seen guys make their place look tossed so that when Zeref sent he and Sting to collect their dough, they were fooled into thinking that they'd left town. Sometimes, their creations were good. Real good. But there was always something to give it away. Natsu would search and find a stash of cash left behind. Or a gun. Or some rock that no one would just forget about, regardless of their hurry. He wondered what was important to Lucy. What she wouldn't leave behind. The answer was obvious: her keys.

"Search for her celestial keys. If they're gone, we know she really is, too."

"We're wasting time," Rogue said. "We should be tracking her."

"Just _look._ We got some other business here, too."

Rogue glanced at him warily. "What other business? You're not planning on looking for Happy, are you?"

"Yeah, I am, got a problem?" Natsu challenged.

"Yes," Rogue hissed. While he spoke, he started searching Lucy's closet, looking in the obvious places that people who didn't know much about hiding put things. Shoes. Coat pockets. The backs of shelves, behind the mirror. "Zeref said we're grabbing the girl and getting out. That's it. He told me if you start in on this crusade of yours, Natsu, before we have any sort of leverage, to drag your ass back home."

Natsu straightened, one of the crisp white papers in hand. "If you touch me, I'll break your fingers."

Rogue glared at him.

"Keep searching," Natsu said, "We'll try to do this smart." _Be smart, Natsu_. He wished Zeref would shut up. He collected the letters and stuffed them in his pocket, deciding that they might be important. There'd be time to read them over later.

The outer door opened, closed again. Locked. Footsteps came through the room. Rogue immediately summoned his magic, preparing to slip through the shadows. Natsu grabbed the material at his shoulder and held him in place, preventing that from happening. His guts were telling him to stay just where he was. There was no need to be unprepared, though. He reached for his Barretta and tugged it out sloppily, the snout getting caught on his stolen uniform. He almost dropped it. He used the gentle squeal of the door opening to cock back the hammer. It was still too loud. He didn't know why he cared so much, it wasn't like there was anywhere to _hide_ , standing there in the open with the light on.

The closet door creaked being pushed open. Natsu prepared himself to see Jude Heartfilia on the other side. Or one of his constables, however, it was a tall and reedy man with a weasel-like face and narrow lips, dressed in the garb of a butler.

"Oh!" Shocked, the man's hand went to his chest. "Constables. You frightened me."

 _Constables?_ Realization donned on Natsu. _Your uniform. Right. Play the part._ Adapting quickly, he found a smile and released Rogue and Rogue released his magic. "Sorry, Mr…?"

"Earl."

"Mr. Earl. Excuse our presence. Just… investigating." Natsu pulled out all the stops, relying heavily on channeling his best knowledge of Zeref. Really, this game of pretend was more his brother's deal, yet he couldn't think of anytime better than this to learn how to act.

"I see," the man said. "Miss Heartfilia's recent troubles."

"Yea," Natsu said. He caught himself too late. "Yes."

The man smiled and shook his head. "Are all Dragon Den members such bad liars?"

Natsu sucked on his tooth, not allowing the sprig of panic he felt to become anything more than that. "I thought I was doing pretty alright."

"You're right. If Everyone in Mr. Heartfilia's employ didn't know what Natsu Dragneel looked like, I might have believed you, commoner accent and all."

Natsu entertained a violent fantasy and liberally congratulated himself when he didn't act it out. "So what now, Earl? Going to run and tell the boss he's got intruders?"

The man drew himself up. "Actually… I'm a businessman. And so are you lads, if I'm not mistaken."

Natsu raised his brows. "Business?"

"I want to strike a deal with the Dragon's Den," he explained.

"A deal." Natsu looked at Rogue. "What do you say, buddy? You think this guy's lighting up the tilt sign?"

"Absolutely," Rogue replied.

"That's what I thought," Natsu agreed. He moved quickly, grabbing Earl by the collar of his pressed white shirt, and bullied him out of the closet doorway and into the bedroom beyond.

"Hey!" Earl gasped. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Putting an end to this," Natsu said coldly. "Covering my tracks. Taking out one of Heartfilia's dogs."

"I'm a butler, not a cop—"

"Doesn't matter." Natsu pushed him hard. Earl caught himself on the dresser, pulling up short. Not in the mood for games, Natsu raised his gun. "I guess here's good enough."

Earl paled and held up his hands in surrender. "Wait, wait! Don't shoot. I really do want to make a deal. I have some information I think the Den might be interested in."

Natsu eased his finger off the trigger, single-minded once more. "You know where Heartfilia is putting the kids he takes?"

Earl shook his head. "No, but—"

"Then you don't know anything I want to know," Natsu replied and leveled the gun again.

"Wait!" Earl huffed. His eyes were as wide as planets. "I know where Miss Heartfilia went."

Natsu sighed and aimed the gun at the ceiling. All he wanted to do was shoot, but, as Zeref said, information was cash and this could save them some time. "Yeah?"

"Yes. I overheard her plans. For half of the profit you make from her ransom, I'll tell you where to find her." For a man that valued his life, he sure made concessions.

"Half?" Natsu repeated.

"Yes, Sir."

That was the first time he'd ever been called Sir. People addressed Zeref like that all the time, but not his hotheaded little brother. It was kind of nice. Natsu basked in it for three whole seconds. Then he was back to reality. He took Earl by the shoulders and resumed his course.

"What are you doing?" Earl squawked.

"Trying not to get blood on the upholstery. Seems like a shame." Over his shoulder, Natsu called, "Watch the door, Rogue, let me know if our party's about to be crashed."

Rogue grunted something like acceptance.

Earl protested. "Unhand me. I want to talk business."

"No," Natsu said coldly. "I heard what you had to say. Half doesn't work for me." He pushed the man hard enough that he tripped on Lucy's carpet and went down. His landing was loud enough to draw attention. Natsu's sense of urgency skyrocketed. They had to get out of there soon. He grabbed Earl by the collar again and lifted him. Then he bullied him through the open balcony and into the nighttime, all but deaf to the man's protests.

Beneath Earl's pleas, crickets chirruped. It was quiet enough, Natsu wondered how long it would take for Heartfilia's guards to hear the ruckus and close in on their location. Not long. _Maybe Zeref was right about bringing Rogue._ People looked to the shadows, but they never _saw._ He bullied Earl against the bannister then raised his gun and rested it against the man's forehead.

"Wait! Wait! You're right!" Earl said. "Half was greedy. A quarter, and you'll know her exact location."

"No."

"Two grand then! You can afford that." Earl said. "You'll have a hard time finding Miss Heartfilia without my help."

Annoyed, Natsu used the butt-end of his pistol to hit Earl in the nose. Blood burst and soaked Earl, Natsu and the balcony. Earl screamed. Unaffected, the dragon slayer pushed him against the edge and kept going, shoving off Earl's grasping hands and narrowly avoiding getting kicked in the balls. One final shove sent Earl over the edge. Natsu caught him by the ankle and held him seconds before gravity had its way. He was surprisingly light. Coins, a lighter, and keys all freefell.

"God. Oh, God," Earl swore. He bent at the waist and reached for the balcony, trying to hold himself up. Natsu swung him violently and let his grip slip some. Earl sobbed again. "Oh, _God._ "

Natsu delivered his news in a cold voice. "The Den doesn't deal like that. If you have information we want, we _take it_. We _don't pay._ "

"Yes, of course. How foolish of me," Earl backpedaled. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. Just let me up."

"I don't think I need anything from you, Earl," Natsu said casually. "Except for you to keep your mouth shut about us being here. It's been a slice."

"Wait!" He was crying, his nose red, his eyes puffy. Fear was pungent. "Wait! _Please."_ Natsu didn't let him go so he explained, "I have something else to sweeten the deal."

Natsu tightened his grip on his Barretta. _Shoot or let him drop, hurry up._ Again, something told him to wait. _You know Zeref's going to be pissed if you don't at least listen._ His finger eased off the trigger. "My brother always tells me I should be more of a capitalist. Go ahead, tell me what's so sweet, Earl?"

"Oh... ah." He huffed, and lifted himself just enough that he was looking at Natsu and not the ground. The cool breeze whipped by his cherry-red face, nearly taking his words away. Natsu's hearing was sharp, though. "I know a girl. A girl that works in the constabulary. She's got a sister that likes the fairer sex, you know? One day, she comes into the shop waiting for her sister. To pass the time, she sneaks out back, her and her girl, and I catch a glimpse while running errands for Mr. Heartfilia. She's really worried about her sister's reputation."

Natsu turned the man's words over and came to his own conclusion, but he wanted to hear him say it. "How worried?"

"Worried enough that when I ask, she keeps my bed warm. Pull me up and I'll give you her name. She'll take care of you, too. We won't have to talk about money. We can just forget this happened."

"That sounds like a sweet deal you got there, Earl."

He laughed manically. "Yeah. Knew a Dragneel would appreciate something like that. Bring me up."

From inside, Rogue hissed, "Hurry up, Natsu."

Natsu catalogued that in the back of his mind. "I'll help you out, Earl, I promise. But you understand business, a guy like you. Give me the name first."

"No way, I—"

Natsu let him slip a few inches. Earl's scream was a strangled thing, weak and quieter than Natsu was sure he planned. "Oh. Sorry about that."

"That wasn't an accident, you—"

Natsu let him slide again.

"Alright, alright! Lisanna. Lisanna's her name. Strauss. Her sister works the front desk at the constabulary."

"Lisanna, eh? And while you're feeling talkative, where's Lucy?"

Earl gasped and reached for the bannister. His hands fell short again. "Alright! She's run off to one of the constable's cottages. Fullbuster. Gray Fullbuster. He's putting her up."

"Where?"

"Rosewood Lake. North of here."

Natsu's smile was slow and genuine. "That's all I needed to know. Goodbye, Earl."

Freefalling, Earl was too shocked to scream.


	6. Chapter 6

Natsu watched Earl fall all the way to the bottom, not out of respect or remorse or even morbid curiosity; he needed to make sure the man was dead. Earl landed badly on his neck, as quiet as a mouse. If the limpness wasn't telling enough, the weird angle of his bones affirmed it: he was gone.

Rogue appeared at his side, as silent as ever. "Couldn't have just pulled the trigger?"

"And waste good bullets?" Natsu asked crassly.

"It'd be quicker."

"And I wouldn't have gotten anything good out of him," Natsu replied.

Rogue cocked his ear, hearing Jude Heartfilia speaking seconds before Natsu did. "They're coming. We need to go."

"We need to look for Happy, actually," Natsu said.

"Zeref said—"

"Zeref's not here, _I_ am," Natsu replied. "Come on. You owe me after I bailed you and Sting out when you were hanging around the Mermaid girls, remember?"

"Yeah," Rogue replied, "I remember. I also remember that it wasn't for free."

It'd cost Rogue and Sting three forties of whisky, a new _shiny_ Colt .45 from the hip of one constable that had looked at Wendy a little too long for Natsu's liking, and the phone number of one Kagura Mikazuchi. Not that Natsu thought any dealings with her would go _well_. He just wanted to see what would happen if Sting asked her for it. Amazingly, she'd given it up. He'd yet to ring her, thinking that she'd rather rob than rub him.

"I did you a favour. You know Zeref would have been pissed." Not only consorting but fucking with the 'enemy'? That was grounds to get kicked out of the Den. Not that it happened often, but Zeref wasn't afraid of it. He was always more concerned with a) safety, b) cash flow.

Rogue sighed, his shoulders dropping. "Seriously?"

Natsu shot a look toward the door. Jude Heartfilia was _just beyond_ it. He fingered his Barretta. It would be easy to shoot the Chief of Police as soon as he came into the room, but _where was the satisfaction?_ He wanted to see Jude's face when he realized that Lucy belonged to the Dragon's Den again. He wanted to _smell_ the panic dripping out of Jude's pores when he realized that the Den was _better. That you're better. That Zeref's better._ And because of that, Jude was going to pay _double._

 _No one said that you couldn't make him talk, though._ Get out of him where Happy was. A double hit.

"Whatever you're thinking," Rogue started. "You better—"

Natsu grabbed the collar of Rogue's uniform and dragged him in so they were nose-to-nose. "I'm thinking you need to get me in there, Rogue, and make it good. I want Heartfilia scared."

"Natsu, he's got three constables with him. _At least_. And that's not including the ones downstairs," Rogue hissed quietly.

Lucy's door opened. Natsu's stomach bounced with nerves, his heart beat hard and his palms started to sweat. He took a deep breath and all of those symptoms lessened. "Now, Rogue."

"Natsu—"

Jude came further into the room. "Was the balcony always open?"

"I don't think so, sir," said one of the constables.

The hush that befell the room was deafening. Natsu went back to sweating. Rogue reached for his magic, the puddle of black he conjured looking somehow both sinister and welcoming. Natsu inched across the railing toward the shadow, feeling the metal dig into his back. Stepping into Rogue's magic was _always_ disorienting. Doing it while pulling a gun and getting ready to be his most intimidating self… He'd felt more sure of himself. It might have been different if it was his own magic.

Maybe.

Probably.

Natsu gripped Rogue's shoulder while Rogue stepped into the shadow and followed him. Suddenly they were _nowhere_ again, just in time for Jude to venture out onto the balcony, safely shielded behind his uniformed men. Natsu felt Rogue zag right, zig left, into the shadow of the Rose of Sharon, out, into one of the constable's shadows and out, into the—

Motion sickness tried to take him. He shrugged it off as best he could; it was easier when he closed his eyes.

And then he was descending. At first, Natsu didn't think he was pegging the sensation just right, he thought he was disoriented and confused and more than a little turned around. He clutched Rogue's shoulder and held onto his gun, finding center in those physical things, consoling himself with the knowledge that they'd be out soon.

No matter how optimistic he tried to be, it quickly became apparent that something was wrong: Rogue wasn't taking him where he wanted to go. By the time that realization came, they were in the driveway. Yelling, his voice was banished to the nowhere that was the space within the shadows. He squeezed Rogue's shoulder so hard, the other dragon slayer was going to have a bruise. If he thought the abuse would convince Rogue to let him free, he was sorely mistaken. And _pissed. Your gun._

He couldn't bring himself to shoot him. Not quite. Other kinds of abuse, though...

It took five minutes of mad-dashing through the dark to reach the Den's other hideaway, a place Zeref had affectionally dubbed The Dreg House. As soon as they came out of the darkness and into the Dreg's proper, slipping ethereally through the crack in the rolling barn-style door, Rogue let the spell go. Natsu had three seconds of uncertainty—was he going to puke on Rogue's shoes? Was he going to fall, dizzy?—and then he was ready to go. Fist clenched, stolen uniform straining around his shoulders, he went for Rogue's jaw.

And missed, the other man crouching to the puckered and stained concrete to narrowly avoid getting pummeled. Natsu wasn't done. He shot out his leg, hoping to catch Rogue in the chest. This time, Rogue had to go to more drastic measures, slipping into the shadow of a large distilling vat.

"Get out here!" Natsu commanded. His voice echoed off the concrete walls, competing with another sound he hadn't yet allowed his ears to register.

Rogue appeared ten feet away, moulding himself out of the shadow of a small elevated loading dock that Zeref sometimes used for a stage if they were entertaining a business deal. Faintly, Natsu was aware that it was in such use in that moment, lit up with blue and white lights. He couldn't look up to see which girl his brother had finagled into coming out tonight, nor could he focus on _why._ He lunged for Rogue, a growl on his lips.

Rogue stood his ground. "I was just going off orders, Natsu, cool it."

Natsu was feet away when something cold and familiar wrapped around his chest. He had exactly one second to draw in a breath and prepare for impact. There was never any _real_ way to ready yourself for something like Zeref's shadows slamming you into the ground, though. On his back, Natsu stared up at the rafters, seeing stars. The shock and windlessness passed, and when it did, Natsu was on his feet, going for Rogue _again._

Shadows circled around his arms and his chest and suddenly he was being hauled back bodily, ass scraping over concrete, boots scuffing, mouth cussing fluently. He only stopped when his body stopped and Zeref stood over him, blocking out one of the pendant lights hanging on a piece of chain thirty feet overhead. On his face was one of the most severe scowls Natsu had seen his brother don.

" _Enough."_

Natsu weathered the scowl. "Enough? We were _right there._ And instead of bringing me inside like he said, that fucking asscrack dragged me back here!"

"Because I told him to," Zeref said.

Natsu beat his fist on the concrete floor. It hurt, yet the pain was a mile away, buried beneath anger. "You weren't there!" He attempted to rise, intent on getting at Rogue one more time. The other dragon slayer watched him warily, a dog slowly being pushed into the corner and forced to fight.

" _Enough_ ," Zeref said again. "Rogue, leave." He was more than happy to oblige, ducking through the exit behind the stage. "And Natsu…" Zeref flicked his eyes left. "We have company."

Natsu followed his gaze to the scuffed round table they only ever pulled out for special occasions and saw their weapons dealer, Jellal Fernandez, sitting at the other end in a black vest, white collared shirt and a pair of grey slacks. He pretended to study his hand of cards, glancing between that and the wealth of cash and pills stacked before him, a bemused smile on his mouth.

"Please," the man waved them on with a hand that glittered with onyx stones embedded in gold rings. "Don't let me stop you, you were just getting to the good part."

Zeref's hand clenched into a tight fist. The shadows around the room bent toward him as he fought to smother his temper. He breathed deeply and they stopped. Natsu did what he could to mimic his brother's state. Always pretend you're in control, even when the world's burning. Soon enough, he captured the calm he was mimicking. With the absence of an overload of adrenaline and testosterone, he realized that the sound he'd heard was jazz music. He looked to the 'stage' next and saw they had Angel up there. The woman had almost gotten down to her white-as-clouds and cupless bustier. She'd stopped discarding her black blouse with Natsu's interruption. Now she looked to Zeref for direction.

Zeref held up his hand. "Angel, we'll get settled and you can pick up again."

The girl murmured about the dance already being ruined—the song had gone on without her. Someone picked the needle off the record, abruptly cutting the sound.

Zeref reached down and grabbed Natsu's hand and hauled him to his feet. "Ditch the jacket, you're making me squirrelly dressed like that."

Natsu tugged off Mines' hat first (it had finally dried) and then the jacket, stripping down to his plain white undershirt, suspenders and a pair of black slacks. He dropped all of it on the floor—it'd get picked up eventually, probably when Kinana got tired of looking at it—and joined Zeref's end of the table. His brother didn't deal him in, but that was fine, he was terrible at poker anyway.

"How did your… excursion into the Heartfilia mansion go?" Jellal asked mildly when Zeref had filled up snifters of whisky for them and Natsu was settled.

Natsu shot a look Zeref's way. He looked annoyed but he didn't interject so Natsu said, "Just dandy."

Zeref said, "Where is Heartfilia's girl?"

The way he said it was more than a little challenging. Zeref had already made up his mind that Natsu fucked up when he came in emptyhanded. Natsu entertained just leaving the table. He never would, he was too bullheaded for that, but it was a nice thought. On stage, the music started again and Angel began dancing once more, teasingly taking off her scarf and swirling it around her body. Eventually, that was discarded. Natsu watched the girl's shirt come undone and said as blandly as possible, "When we got there, she'd taken off with one of Heartfilia's constables."

"To a safe house?" Zeref asked.

"Yeah, but I don't think daddy knows." Natsu drank the whisky too fast, not sipping like he was supposed to but tossing back his head and taking it in one huge gulp. "I do, though."

Jellal's responding smile was slow and sharp as glass. "Looks like your shitty luck is starting to change, Zeref."

Zeref dug through his pocket and came out with a long cigar. He clipped the end himself, toasted it until it smoked, then puffed the cherry to life. "Luck always knows where to hang her hat."

Natsu didn't tell Zeref he didn't have a cottage number. If all went well, that wouldn't be the case for too much longer.

Zeref went on his way, seemingly unconcerned with his brother's ambiguity. He nodded to Jellal's hand. "Are you going to fold?"

The man shook his head and pushed a large stack of cash into the center. "If you can match it, of course."

Natsu didn't know if Zeref could. He didn't balk, though. He unclipped his gun from his hip and set it in the center.

Jellal raised his brow. "You love that gun."

"I know you've had your eye on it. Are you in or what?"

"Of course I'm in," he replied with little hesitation. It was a very nice gun, with a bone-white ivory handle and silver filigree kissing the grip. It was polished chrome. Zeref always cared for it.

Natsu poured himself another drink and sat back in his wooden chair. The frame complained, well loved and a little loose. As he gulped his larger than necessary whisky, he only half watched the game, torn between planning the rest of his night and looking toward Angel. She'd gotten her blouse off, and her pencil skirt and was showing off most of what she had. She was soft and confident and _hated_ to be ignored. She stepped from the makeshift stage and sauntered to their table, going for Zeref. Always. He was her favorite; Natsu thought maybe she was his, too, she was always the first girl he asked to dance and she almost always said yes. And he didn't even pay her all that well, as far as Natsu knew.

Confident in her boned bustier, white heels and high-rise silk panties, she climbed into Zeref's lap and tangled her fingers into his hair. He hardly paid any mind as he laid down his cards. A full house to Jellal's flush.

Jellal's expression soured. "Well played. Now, let's talk business. You want enough firepower to hold off Heartfilia's dogs."

"I want to be ready if they figure out we're here." Zeref tucked his favorite revolver back into its holster. The fat wad of cash went into his inner breast pocket, delivered by Angel's blue-nailed fingers. "Tommy's, riffles, pistols. Hell, grenades if you've got 'em. I don't want to be surprised again."

"You'll get him this time, Zeref, baby," Angel whispered. "He'll be tasting dirt soon."

Zeref petted her hair absently, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Jellal said, "As long as you can pay, I can supply whatever you need, my friend."

"I can pay."

Natsu didn't ask where Zeref got the funds from. Probably some illegal endeavour that was just a little too raunchy, a little too rough. It was how they got by. "What time is it?"

Zeref checked his watch around Angel's body. "Eleven."

Natsu stood.

"Where are you going?" Zeref's voice was like a whip.

Natsu slugged back the rest of his whisky, trying to be casual. "Gonna go see what Flare's up to." Crazy as fuck Flare. She liked fire and she liked to play rough. Natsu only jumped on _that_ camel's back a few times, but after each, he lay in a charred bed, cigarette in hand, courting a mile of regret that kept on growing. Last time that he said it was the _last_ time was five months ago. He hadn't gone back since. She hadn't come looking for him, either, though, so who knew if he'd stay away?

Zeref's smirk was depreciative and full of humor. "She's a loon, but you'll be better off with her than Heartfilia's girl." Birds of a feather and all that.

Natsu didn't tell his brother he was way off-base suggesting he was dreaming about Lucy, it felt like protesting too much. "I'll see you later."

Zeref hardly looked at him, more concerned with Angel threading her fingers through his hair and Jellal lifting his hand, calling his business partner closer. Laxus Dreyar took up a lot of space in the room, and not only because of his stature, he was just mean. In a room full of the worst-of-the-worst, he held his own. His reputation wasn't embellished as far as Natsu knew. Every cop he came across, Laxus put down, and anyone else, too. He didn't discriminate. Between he and Jellal, no one dared to cheat the weapon's dealer.

Laxus carried four over-stuffed suitcases while Gajeel helped out, carrying the other two. Natsu imagined what was in there. The last time Zeref contracted Jellal to arm them, they were swimming in firepower. And debt.

"Oh, and hey," Zeref added before Natsu could totally slip away, "And leave Rogue alone, eh? He was doing what I told him."

"Yeah," Natsu replied. Rogue was the last thing on his mind. He needed to get over to the constabulary before the shift changed.

* * *

Because of her short hair, Lisanna Strauss was what most men would call a fuzzy duck. She was small and lithe, though a little heavy on top to have a ballerina's figure. Natsu knew her by the brunette that murmured her name between kisses. Natsu didn't watch too closely, not wanting to intrude on what was definitely a private moment. He only moved from his rooftop perch when Lisanna breathed out an unsteady sigh and confided, "Mira's going to be done soon, we should stop."

Her lover whispered, "I wish we didn't have to sneak around like this, I hate it."

Lisanna didn't offer a reply beyond one final kiss. She broke away from the girl and moved toward the front of the building, like she was just arriving, while the other girl slipped off into the shadows. Natsu counted the seconds, following Lisanna from on high. Timing was everything. He needed her lover to be far enough away that she couldn't hear the coming scuffle, and he needed to make sure Lisanna didn't step into the streetlight.

He pushed it to the very last second, waiting until her high heel kissed the light before he dropped down behind her and slung his arm around her shoulder. The turn he took was abrupt, bringing her back into the alley and against the brick wall in a practiced motion. Her breath came out in a _whoosh._ She would have fallen in her ridiculously tall black heels if his hold on her wasn't iron-clad. She didn't get a scream out, too shocked at first. He clamped his hand over her mouth anyway to make sure she couldn't rectify that.

"Hello, Miss Strauss."

Her breath exploded over his hand. She knew enough to be scared. Good. Scared people did what you wanted. Most of the time. Lisanna started to push at him, a low whine in her throat building to something that was going to be rather loud real soon. Natsu took out his pistol and pressed it against her chin. "Shush now. I want to talk, but if you start screaming…"

Lisanna's protests died, her hands went limp. Tears rolled out of her eyes and dampened his hand. Guilt was potent. Natsu buried it, reminding himself who he _actually_ was, not a monster that trolled the night looking for girls to terrorize out of want but someone with a purpose and his own sense of honour. It didn't matter if it was twisted from years of having to bend this way and that just to survive.

"I'm going to take my hand away now, okay? And you and me, we're going to have a chat." Again he said, "No screaming, alright? Screaming means your head's gonna be all over this wall and I'll have to find a new girl, and neither of us want that, right?"

Lisanna nodded.

Natsu lifted his hand a finger at a time. Lisanna didn't scream, she was a good girl, afraid for her life.

"Please don't kill me." Her voice was a harsh whisper brimming with fear.

Natsu shook his head. "I won't, not if you hold up your end of the bargain, Lisanna." _Right?_ Who knew? He didn't want the cops knowing he was coming around asking questions and the only people who didn't speak were the ones without breath to do so.

" _God."_ The tears came more freely. "Are you going to—to—" She looked down at her heaving bosom. Natsu thought he knew what she meant. He was sickened but didn't bother correcting her, let her imagination run a little wild if it meant she would be more obliged to do what he wanted.

"Do you know who I am?"

Lisanna wetted her cherry-red lips. "Natsu Dragneel, of the Dragon's Den." She bit her cheek then, obviously wondering if she should have just said no. And maybe she should have. Her knowing his identity made leaving her alive a little harder. Natsu kept his features schooled, not letting any of his thoughts slip through.

"That's right. And I need you to do something for me, Lisanna. Something really important that I think you'll be good at. You'll even be compensated, in a way."

"I—I don't want to do anything for you," Lisanna said, finding the will to be brave somehow.

"I think you will. See, I had a funny conversation tonight with one Mr. Earl. That name sound familiar?" Lisanna went white. Natsu smiled. "Thought so. He had a lot to say about you, Lisanna. A lot of really interesting things. Things maybe the constabulary doesn't want themselves associated with."

" _God._ " She forgot about the gun pressing into her chin and pressed the back of her quivering hand to her mouth. Her tears came more freely. "Please. I didn't _do_ anything."

The guilt was even heavier. Natsu stood strong beneath it, thinking about his family all the while. "I agree, Lisanna, you haven't done anything. Why should you suffer? I'm going to give you a chance to make all of this go away but like I said, I need something from you. Just a little thing and I'll be on my way."

She looked so hopeful for a moment, it almost broke his heart. Then she got wary. "Mira says men like you lie."

"All men lie," he corrected her. "But not all men lie all the time. I swear on my honour, if you come through for me, I'll make sure that not only will I never contact you again, I'll make sure Earl never threatens you again, or uses you." She didn't need to know the truth of it, that Earl was probably just now getting picked off Heartfilia's lawn, getting his measurements taken for a pine box.

"What honour? Everyone says the Dragneels are cads."

"Cads? Lisanna…" He tapped his gun against her chin. "Here's the thing—don't waste your time wondering if I'm disreputable because if you don't do what I ask, I will pull this trigger and your sister is going to have a really bad night."

She quivered again, harder than before. " _God._ Do you want me to do for you what I do for Mr. Earl? Or do you want me to—to kill someone, or traffic drugs?

It was amazing what the public thought the Den couldn't do for themselves. "The only thing I want from you is to get your ass inside, smile like its your fucking job, flirt like you've never flirted before, and get out of Gray Fullbuster which cottage on Rosewood Lake is his."

Lisanna's blue orbs dug into his skin. "What? Why?"

Natsu wagged his finger in front of her face. "No questions, doll, just do it."

Lisanna opened her mouth to argue, surprisingly stubborn. Natsu cut her off. "Does your sister like her job?"

Lisanna nibbled her lip. "She _needs_ her job."

"We all need something. Do this for me and she won't have any threats from us. Or Earl."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

He held up his hand. "Gentleman's honour."

"Mira says—"

Natsu cocked the gun.

Lisanna changed what she was saying. "Is it just the cottage number you want?"

"That's all."

"And no one will get hurt?"

Who could say? He could lie. "Not a soul."

"And you can really make Earl be quiet?"

"You won't hear a peep out of him." Not unless she could talk to the dead.

"Fine," Lisanna said. "I'll do it, but if Gray gets suspicious—"

"Do it really, really well," Natsu interjected. "That way he won't have to be."

Lisanna deflated. Natsu took his gun away. The girl fixed her blouse and her skirt, and her feather-like hair, and rounded the side of the alley. Natsu wondered if she was about to rouse the whole constabulary. Using the ladder, he scurried up the side of the building and waited safely out of the line of sight.

Midnight approached. Natsu dropped himself down against one of the large industrial vents and looked at the moon sitting huge in the sky. That got boring rather quick. He thought of dropping Earl off the ledge and if he'd been too hasty doing that (what else did Heartfilia's butler know? A wealth of dirt), and of how _close_ he'd been to searching for Happy—though he didn't seriously think that Heartfilia was going to keep him in his mansion.

Inevitably, he started thinking about Lucy. He remembered the letters in his pocket. There was probably a wealth of dirt in _those,_ too. He was just pulling one out when the constabulary door opened down at street level, the light from inside spilling across the empty street. Natsu rose and tiptoed to the edge of the building, unwilling to give himself up if it was a trap.

Lisanna was alone. For now—Natsu could hear a woman's voice chiming from inside the constabulary. That must have been her sister. Edging into the empty alley, Lisanna searched the darkness. She couldn't find him, of course. That didn't stop her from saying, "Forty-seven, Rosewood Lane."

Natsu didn't bother asking if she was lying, he thought she was too scared for that. "Thanks. Earl's dead, Lisanna. You don't have to worry about him." He didn't know he wasn't going to kill her until he had turned away. "But remember, I still know your secret."

Following his voice, she lifted her gaze, struggling to see Natsu on the roof. He was already gone, though.

* * *

Even as Natsu crossed the wires on Gray Fullbuster's shot-up Tudor, coaxing the engine into life, he knew that Zeref was going to be furious. He'd want to know what was going on, he'd want to tell Natsu to _be smart._ He'd want to send someone else to do the retrieving. He'd want to have plans and guns and guards. He'd want control.

The car's engine rumbled. Natsu got in and closed the door, deciding that Zeref wouldn't be so pissed if he showed up with one Lucy Heartfilia, dressed and brushed and looking pretty, ready to be sold. No one tried to stop him as he pulled out of the constabulary. After all, the best way to hide was to stay in plain sight. Who was going to stop a constable's cruiser looking for a criminal?


	7. Chapter 7

Blisters formed. Blisters popped. Lucy's pumps became slippery and hard to walk in, sweat and blood becoming the enemy. She never slowed, practically running all the way to the train station, keys jingling, heels _clicking_ , shoulder aching from carrying her duffle. She almost wished she had someone to carry it for her; the thought was gummed up as she imagined Natsu Dragneel's patented scowl, his mouth moving, telling her people like her were useless.

She adjusted the bag in her grip and rushed faster.

No one in the Lantana district, by far the richest in Magnolia, dared to come out so late at night, but as Lucy left behind cobble pathways, trimmed hedges, mown lawns and gated driveways for poured concrete, gravel and no-car households, she saw a few people sitting out on their porches: men with beers in hand, women soothing toddlers with dirt smeared on their cheeks, teenagers, snuck from their parents' homes to smoke and drink when they thought no one was looking.

One such person, a boy with copper red hair bright enough that Lucy could see it in the moonlight, asked if she needed help. She was too scared to say either way. She'd heard plenty of stories from her father about women that wandered alone at night. Hurrying past him with her heart hammering and her mind drawing up a myriad of crazy (and gory scenarios) wasn't good for her confidence. _I stand out too much_. Like Gray said. _God. Dad's going to get a search party together, they're going to trawl middle-class Magnolia, and they're going to find you almost immediately because you can't help but stick out._

She slowed her steps some, hoping _that_ would help. There wasn't much to do about her attire, unless she wanted to duck into a hedgerow and shuck off her nightdress for something more street-worthy. She wasn't desperate enough to change out in the open yet, too afraid of being seen.

Renfew Avenue turned into Orchard and the train station came into view. Illuminated by pale lights, it was a brick building overburdened with glass windows, most of which were filthy, smeared with greasy finger-prints, gum, ash where several someone's had tamped out their cigarettes. In the morning, someone would come and clean that all up as they did every day, but for now, Lucy looked at all the dingy filth and couldn't help but turn up her nose.

Though it was summer yet, a homeless man in a wool sweater huddled by the entrance. "Change, miss?" he asked through a thick salt-and-pepper mustache in a voice that cracked from disuse.

"Sorry," Lucy murmured and felt guilty, knowing full well she had plenty of cash in her pocket. _I might need it, though_.

"I understand. God bless you."

That just made her heart tug more. She avowed to buy a bag of peanuts and give it to him. "You, too." She rushed inside after that.

In the vestibule, it smelled like diesel and perfume and smoke and hundreds of passengers. Lucy turned her nose up and entered the train station proper. In there wasn't any better. The ticket booth attendant, a young man in a cheap black suit, smoked a crisp white Pall Mall. His eyes travelled to her through the haze of blue smoke and clung to her body. Lucy resisted the urge to wrap her arms around herself, knowing full well that she showed off too much and she was drawing too much attention. She hurried to the end of the station into the room marked Women's. With the door closed between them, Lucy breathed a sigh, sure that she was safe. The bathroom was an off-green colour, equipped with three stalls, and relatively tidy. The tap dripped, though. She checked her watch. 12:12 AM. The very last train out of Magnolia was at 12:28 AM. _You have to hurry._

Going to the sinks, she dropped her bag to the ground and took her keys off her neck; they were the sharpest thing she owned and carried. She dug the end of Loke's key into her stitched arm and used the pointed edge to dig up the tie Miss Porlyusica made. Her skin ripped and bled. It hurt; Lucy kept going. The key in her hand heated up, not to an unbearable temperature, just enough to let her know that Loke was watching and he didn't approve of her methods. She had nothing else, though, so she kept going until she found the tag end of the tie and could work at it with her nails. It was hard with the blood. Determination was on her side. Sort of. The air shimmered and Loke stepped through his gate, looking wan and exhausted, but holding a knife.

"You're hurting yourself."

"I don't care," Lucy responded, yet held out her arm, eager to have the job over quick. Loke didn't hesitate this time, sliding the blade through the stitches, prodding the skin apart with hands that shook, and reaching in for the lacrima without having to be asked. The bulbs fell to the floor and were crushed beneath his dress shoe. As soon as the magic draining lacrima was destroyed, he looked better, though still not _great._

"Are you alright?"

"I'm tired," he admitted. "That Zeref guy wasn't messing around."

Lucy tried not to recall all of the details, however, her mind had different ideas, offering up the image of Loke getting torn apart by sleek shadows. "I'm sorry, Loke."

"Don't be," he said. "I'll get better. And now that the lacrima is gone, it'll be faster, too." He went to a stall and grabbed out a huge wad of toilet paper. Bringing it back, he daubed at her arm. "Stop getting yourself hurt, Lucy. You'll scar."

"It's going to scar anyway," she replied. The cut was too deep and too damaged now to do anything else.

He sighed. "I'm glad you got away again."

Her smile was watery.

"But," Loke said, "Do you think you can trust Gray?"

His words made Lucy's heart skip-beat. "What? What do you mean?"

Loke looked up from the wound and searched her eyes. "I just mean, it's nice of him to offer you his cottage and all, but you know as well as I do how much being a cop means to him."

Lucy turned his words around in her head then said, "You didn't see him, Loke. He was shaken. I don't think he'll give me up."

Loke scrubbed his hair. "Maybe you're right. It's a good place to crash for the night, anyway, but I think you should get out of there as soon as you can, Lucy, because sooner or later your dad's going to think of checking there. He knows you and Gray were close."

A stone dropped in Lucy's stomach. She didn't think of that at all. "You don't think he'll hurt him just to get answers, do you?"

Loke shook his head. "I don't know. The more time that passes, the more I realize I don't know your dad as well as I thought."

That made both of them. Frustrated tears pressed at her eyes. Lucy blinked them away.

Loke took a handkerchief from his pocket and tied up her arm so tight, Lucy was afraid her hand would fall off. She didn't complain and he didn't loosen it.

"You need to change," he said once he was finished and started going through her pack without asking. From its depths, he took out a jade green halter dress.

Lucy stripped down right there in the middle of the washroom, bashful but too focused to let something like that slow her down. Loke kept his glances to a minimum, kept his tongue tied, and helped her dress. On a different day, he'd make a joke or a lewd comment, but today, he was the spirit Lucy needed him to be, all business and compassion. He pulled the dress over her head and made sure she didn't drop blood on the fabric, then tied the back and took out a golden scarf from her bag and helped her cover her hair.

"Once you get out there, buy a pair of sunglasses along with two tickets for you and me. I'll meet you outside and escort you onto the train so no one gives you funny looks." It wasn't too often a woman wandered around by herself so late at night.

"Do you have to go?" She didn't want to be by herself for any amount of time.

"It's going to look weird if I come out of here with you," he told her, "And I'm sure that ticket seller is going to be watching."

Lucy looked down at her breasts and wished she had something more modest. She didn't have time to sort through her wardrobe, though.

"You're fine," Loke told her. "Just smile. Be confident. Don't answer too many questions, and remember, buy two tickets, one for me, one for you."

Lucy drew herself up straight and wiped her eyes. "How do I look?"

Red-nosed, sad and scared. Loke tucked an errant piece of hair back inside Lucy's scarf. "Perfect. Now hurry up. You have eight minutes before the train leaves."

She nodded and gathered up her belongings while Loke picked up the shards of the lacrima, hiding them in the garbage can. "I'll see you soon."

It was hard to act confident when Lucy just felt like a pretender waltzing out of the bathroom with her bag in hand. The terminal was large, rectangular and dazzlingly bright. What it was lacking in cleanliness outside it more than made up for in here. The floors were sparkling, reflecting the chandelier overhead, the bricks were well maintained and all of the newspapers in their metal stands were neatly stacked. There was a boy there trading yesterdays for the next. August 15th they read. On the front was a picture of the burning industrial district. _Dragon's Den Headquarters Destroyed in Vicious Shoot-out, Police Chief Heartfilia's Daughter Freed_ , the headline said.

 _Yeah,_ Lucy thought, _just wait until they hear the news tomorrow._ Who knew what speculations would come out of her disappearing? Maybe everyone would assume that the Dragon's Den captured her again. That was _probably_ what her father thought. She felt guilty thinking of all the strife she was about to cause them. It was a feeling that lessened remembering Zeref's shadows and Natsu's crass ways.

She looked away and approached the ticket booth. The young man was watching her again. Lucy remembered Loke's words and stalled at the sunglass rack. She chose a pair of dark, cheetah print cat eyes at random and slipped them on right there, imagining how strange she looked. Around her throat, Loke's key got warm. He'd left this world for the celestial realm for a moment. Lucy dug her money out of her bag and approached the booth.

"Help you?" the clerk asked behind his plated glass.

"I need two tickets to Harter, please," Lucy said, suddenly inspired. It was the stop after Rosewood Lake. Anyone stopping in at the train station asking about her would think she went there, hopefully.

The man looked at her with dark brown eyes, mouth pursing, brows raising. "Harter."

"Yes, Sir."

"And what is a lady like you doing going all the way to Harter so late at night for?"

Lucy smiled and lied. "My husband's mother is really sick. We have to go take care of her. We just got the call and rushed here to catch the last train."

The man immediately softened. "Sorry to hear that."

"Thank you." Lucy hammed it up. "That's so sweet."

A whistle blew, signaling the boarding of the final train. "Alright, Missus, two tickets to Harter." The man rang her up quickly. Lucy handed over the money for the tickets and the glasses and bought a package of Lucky Strikes and a lighter, too. She didn't smoke. There was no time like the present to start, though, in the interest of changing herself into someone new, someone that wouldn't be caught by her bloodhound father. Remembering last minute about the peanuts, she bought two bags, one for her and one for the homeless man.

"Thank you." Then she was rushing into the night. Outdoors again, the air smelled faintly of diesel. The train, a steamline passenger, was waiting on the tracks. Inside its cabin the conductor waited, chin resting on his fist. He looked exhausted. How many times had he done this trip today? Too many. Lucy scurried to the homeless man and dropped the bag of peanuts at his side. Sleeping and caught off guard, he startled awake just in time to notice what she'd dropped and called a, "God bless you," one more time at her back.

Lucy didn't respond. From the shadow at the side of the building, Loke approached. He fell into step and took his ticket from her hand. "That was nice of you."

"He looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks," Lucy replied.

"Your father's made sure the foodbanks are on rations. Men like him are the last to receive any assistance."

Lucy didn't need help painting her father in a clear light. She just wished he was a better man. After everything, part of her still loved him. Well, maybe the man he used to be.

Approaching the train, Loke rested his hand on the small of Lucy's back. He smiled and was polite with the ticket checker. He led her to their seats, he tangled their fingers together like they were actually husband and wife and not spirit and master. Their performance was flawless.

Lucy did what she could to keep her arm hidden at her side, not wanting to attract too much attention. She needn't worry, the train's red velvet interior was near empty. Only three other men travelled, and one woman in her late fifties.

The whistle blew. Lucy leaned her forehead against the cool window and dared to let herself do something dangerous. Hope. "I'm never coming back."

Loke squeezed her fingers, not wanting to endorse such a broad statement. It seemed like jinxing it.

Lucy's forehead was still resting against the window so she saw when a battered looking Tudor pulled into the train station. She was sure it was Gray's cruiser. She stood just as the train's whistle blew and the doors closed.

"What is it?" Loke asked.

"That's Gray's car," Lucy said.

Loke followed her gaze. "Did he say he was meeting you here?"

"No, he said in a few days he'd try to get away." _What if something's wrong?_ Lucy didn't dare voice her worry. The car's driver's side door opened and a man stepped out. It was too dark and he was too far away to see clearly, though Lucy was sure he was the right height and build to be Gray.

The train's breaks hissed, then the locomotive jerked into motion. The man stood by the car's open door and watched as the train left. Just before they were out of range, Lucy saw him climb back inside. The car peeled out of the parking lot.

"Maybe it wasn't him," Loke said.

"Maybe it was and we'll see him at the cottage sooner," Lucy replied. She wasn't sure if she _wanted_ to. If Gray was rushing to find her before she left, anything he had to say likely wasn't going to make her night _better_.

"Just relax for now," Loke said. "It's an hour's ride. Get some sleep."

Lucy sighed and leaned into him. He was warm and familiar. It didn't take very long for sleep to find her.

* * *

745 steamliner, _Devon Belle,_ spewed fog-like smoke from its chimney. It caught in the glow of the streetlights and made the train's image distorted. More ghost than machine. Natsu watched it slip away into the shadow and wasn't all _that_ sad. He'd hoped to catch it and Lucy before he needed to leave Magnolia entirely, that way he could get out and get back in before Zeref noticed he was gone, but it wasn't in the cards. Just as well, he was sure just _stepping_ into that rolling deathtrap was going to make him hurl. It wasn't _like_ driving. He couldn't sit in the driver's seat and watch the horizon. He couldn't focus or control how it handled. It wasn't as smooth as the cop's Tudor, and it _definitely_ wasn't as smooth as Jellal's '53 Corvette. He'd been pissed when Natsu took it for a joyride a few months before. Zeref almost disowned him that day, too. How could he resist, though, when Jellal left the keys on the table, more concerned with cards than cars?

On the move again, he took the highway two exit out of Magnolia and followed signs for Rosewood Lake. He went fast and somewhat recklessly, staying between the white and yellow lines when it fit him, which usually wasn't until there was an oncoming car. He passed countless late-night travellers, not really in hopes of beating the 12:28 train out of Magnolia because he figured Lucy had only one place to go and she wasn't about to wander off in the middle of the night, but because he could.

He stopped along the way at a twenty-four-hour gas station to fill up, grab a can of coke, a bag of regular chips and a playboy magazine with Miss Marilyn Monroe on the front. He didn't bother paying for any of it. When the owner tried to stop him, he flashed them his Barretta. It wasn't the most intimidating gun, he knew, but really, it wasn't about the size. People stumbled over themselves all the same. The gas station owner wasn't any different. He wished Natsu a good night.

Natsu smiled and got back in his car and drove for another fifteen kilometres. Then he pulled over into a highway rest stop and drank his coke, ate his chips and read the playboy, giving Lucy plenty of time to get in and get settled.

When he got on the road again, the sign to Rosewood Lake said twenty kilometres. It was almost 2:00.

* * *

47 Rosewood Lane's walkway was choked with rose brambles, its lawn was a touch too long, and the building was smaller than what she remembered. Lucy couldn't tell if it looked different because the last time she'd seen it, she was fourteen and smaller than she was now or because it was dark. Or, she supposed, it _had_ actually changed. It had lost some of its charm. As she walked, she tried to figure out _why_.

Unusually, it was a large and empty boulder that offered some clarity. The property was barren of its usual character. Mika used to make little scarecrow men and women and pose them around the property. She'd change them every year and give them a seasonal theme. Lucy's favorite was still sitting on her dresser, a little girl with straw-blonde hair and a little blue dress. It was made to look just like her when she was young. Gray had a similar one made for him. Lucy wondered if he kept it. Likely; his mother's crafts were all he had left of her now.

And the cottage, she supposed.

"Looks a little different now, eh?" Loke asked.

Lucy startled; she'd forgotten that he was there. "I thought it was just me."

Loke shook his head. "Gray doesn't spend too much time here anymore, does he?"

"He's working all of the time," Lucy responded. He wanted to make Chief Inspector before he was thirty-five. At the rate he was going, that might actually be a reality for him. If only her father would remember his name.

"If you ask me, he could use a vacation up here. He still has that hot tub?"

"Probably." Not that it would be set up. Lucy tugged Bullwinkle's likeness from the keychain around her neck and searched through the assortment of keys for the right one. It stood out like a sore thumb, a huge brass monster that fit the old-style lock. Unused to being covert, Lucy looked around the property one final time before opening the door and revealing the cottage's interior. It was warm inside and smelled stuffy, like it had hardly been used all summer. Her first order of business was closing and locking the door, then she discarded her scarf and hung it on the oak coatrack to her left. It was already overladen with coats and hats and other things unmoved since last winter. It made Lucy sad to see it neglected. She recognized Silver's plaid pea coat. She'd bet that too hadn't moved, not since his death.

Loke travelled further into the dark cottage without removing his shoes and found a tall lamp. When it came on, most of the room was illuminated, all of the shadows chased out except for the most stubborn. Lucy took in the familiar scuffed hardwood floors, the pine walls, the moose head tacked over the fireplace, the old rocker where Mika used to sit and read to her and Gray while they sat on the floor, backs propped against the couch, rolled up in their sleeping bags like ' _two snug bugs in a rug'_ Mika would say.

The stout coffee table still held Silver's favorite briarwood pipe. Lucy closed her eyes and huffed and imagined that she could still smell the smoke burning her nose. Her heart panged hollowly in longing for those days. Days where she still had a mother and her father was a man she was proud of.

"Come on." Loke led her deeper into the cottage, past the elaborate coo coo clock on the sliding glass door that led out into the lake. All in all, the cottage wasn't very big, the kitchen visible from the living room, the den likewise attached. Systematically going through the rooms, Lucy's feet sunk into the den's carpet. She felt bad, her feet were still tacky with blood, but short of getting Loke to carry her, there wasn't much for it.

Off the den was a hallway. The first door on the left was Gray's room. At the very end of the hall was where Mika and Silver slept. Lucy avoided that place—she never went in when she was a kid and old habits died hard.

With the light switch turned on, Lucy saw Gray's room was the same as it ever was, untouched by time. His bed was still a single, his dressers were still clear of everything except a picture of his mother and father, and his closet was still exploding with pool noodles and floating chairs, given that 47 Rosewood Lane never had a boathouse.

Lucy dropped her bags to the ground and heaved a huge sigh of relief. "It feels like coming home."

"You should ask Gray if you can come up more," Loke suggested.

Sobering, Lucy shook her head. "You know that'll never work."

Loke took in a breath to rebuke her then let it out in a weak whoosh. "You're right, you should distance yourself from everyone you used to know."

Hearing it said aloud was like getting gutted. Lucy's throat got hot and tight. She wasn't quick enough to stop the first tear. The rest stayed all trapped up, though. She didn't want to spend her time crying. She turned her back to Loke to swipe it away, feigning going through her bag for something to change into.

"You know," Loke said, not at all fooled. "You could report him, Lucy."

Lucy gnawed on her lip, imagining doing that. She didn't know who would be more humiliated, she or her father. "I don't know if I can."

"I don't know if you can't," Loke said gently.

Lucy said, "I don't really want to think about that right now, Loke. Please."

She must have sounded particularly pathetic because he dropped it without issue.

Lucy took a new nightdress from her pack and clutched it to her chest. "I have to get changed, and then I'm going to bed. We'll talk about this all in the morning, alright?"

"Sure." She didn't ask if he was going to stay with her, the answer was yes. They both knew it.

Lucy hobbled to the tiny washroom and hiked her feet up into the sink one at a time. The blisters on her toes and heels were the worst. She cleaned them meticulously and slapped bandages on each in turn. Three in total, all covering the worst blisters she'd ever had. _It was the running_ , she decided, because she'd spent her whole life in shoes like these.

Finished and changed, she felt almost new again. And almost full of optimism. So her life was a mess. So she wouldn't be able to see her friends for a while. It didn't have to be _forever_. Her father would see reason and give up his pursuit _eventually_ , right? _Or he'll die_ , she thought morbidly. Either way, she'd be free.

The nightgown she'd grabbed was another one of her mothers, slipped into her drawer by not so much accident and grabbed at random like everything else in her bag. Black and frilly, it was a tank style that was sheer through the middle, long skirted and low cut. it didn't matter that she wasn't wearing anything to lift her breasts, they spilled out all on their own. If it were anyone but her spirit there with her, she might have been embarrassed. Loke had seen all of her, though, and while sometimes he was a bit of a cad, he was as pure as they came when it mattered most.

She walked out unashamed. Back in Gray's room, Loke had the sheets turned down for her and stood sentry by the door. He glanced at her briefly, eyes falling to the crease between her breasts, and then he was looking back in her eyes again.

"Get some rest, Lucy, I'll keep watch."

"Thank you." She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek quickly. "You're a good friend, Loke."

"So are you," he replied. "Now get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

* * *

The coo coo clock struck three and peeped. And then four. Lucy stared at the ceiling. She'd shifted again and again in Gray's bed, never finding a comfortable position. She heard Loke sigh and knew that he knew that she wasn't doing as she was supposed to. Her mind kept churning, wondering, worrying, first about her father, then about Gray and his impromptu role in her escape, and so very briefly about the Dragon's Den and the wrath they were about to receive for a crime they weren't guilty of the second time around.

For what felt like the hundredth time, Lucy flopped over on her side.

"You're making me restless," Loke's voice came out of the dark.

"I can't help it," Lucy said into the pillow that still faintly smelled like Gray's pomade.

He sighed. "What's on your mind?"

Lucy opened her mouth and was surprised by what came out. "Why do you think Gray showed up at the train station?"

Loke chewed that over for a solid twenty seconds. "My best guess is that he wanted to make sure you got on the train okay."

"He didn't know I was taking the train," Lucy rebutted.

"If he had a brain he would figure it out," Loke returned. "You weren't going to walk here."

Lucy sighed. "Do you think my dad will figure it out?"

"Do you want to have a conversation where I comfort you or make you worry more?"

"Comfort is always nice." Never practical, but _nice._

"Gray's pretty clever. He'll do what he needs to cover for you."

Lucy let his words sink in. he wasn't incorrect. Gray was an excellent policeman, smart and resourceful. He wouldn't do anything to implicate himself if he could help it. She closed her eyes again.

And still tossed and turned.

Loke said, "If you're not going to sleep, you might as well get up."

"And do what?" Lucy asked. Though her face was turned into the pillow, she could perfectly imagine Loke's frustrated expression.

"Something that makes you tired," he muttered.

An idea came to Lucy. She sat up, wide awake and alert and reached for her bag.

"What are you looking for?"

"Swimsuit, hopefully," Lucy confided. She'd grabbed that entire drawer earlier. Digging through underwear and a dress that no longer fit her properly, Lucy scavenged all the way at the bottom of her bag and found what she was looking for.

Her white bikini was a birthday present the year before. Seeing how revealing it was, it went to the bottom of her drawer and stayed there. Now with no one to see her, she prepared to wear it for the first time.

"You're going to go swimming?"

"Well, you said do something until I'm tired, and swimming will make me tired," Lucy hoped. "Unless, of course, you think it's a bad idea."

Loke shrugged. "Whatever you say, doll. I'll keep watch."

What he really meant was _whatever works to make you go to sleep._

Lucy flashed him a brief smile and got out from beneath the sheets. It was cooler out there, the night had brought with it pre-autumn temperatures but the water would be warmer than the air, and afterward she could make a small fire and maybe even fall asleep in front of it, wrapped up in a sleeping bag just like in the old days.

Lucy hurried to get ready.

* * *

Natsu didn't have any trouble finding 47 Rosewood Lane. He arrived at 2:35 and parked the Tudor out front, hidden behind a copse of trees on the road. He closed the door silently and approached the cottage that smelled pungently like the man he'd smelled in Lucy's room earlier that night. Her scent was all mixed up in it, sweet, sweet jasmine.

He was up the steps and reaching for the doorknob when he hesitated.

He couldn't just _barge_ in. Well, he _could,_ of course, but where the hell was the fun in that? No. He needed something good. He wanted her to be afraid when he came for her. And, of course, he wanted to disarm her. He was _pretty_ sure he could handle her and her spirits, but if she pulled some weird shit and summoned two or three of them at a time he might have his hands full.

 _Be smart._

Yeah, there was never any getting away from Zeref.

So he sat down on a rock out front and watched and waited, thinking up plan after plan and dashing them down again. His ears were trained on the house and the surrounding night, listening for doors opening and closing, cars. All was quiet. An hour passed. Two. Natsu fingered the Beretta in his pocket. There was no sleeping tonic now, all he had was his fire and his gun and a scowl that had made men and women tougher than Lucy Rosanta Heartfilia wet themselves.

 _That's all you need_. _Once you have her keys…_ Everything else would be easy. There was only so much fighting she could do, right? And once he started driving, she wasn't likely to throw herself out of the car. _And you can probably find something inside to restrain her with if it comes to that._ Which, considering the _last_ time they saw each other, he was pretty sure that it _was_ going to come to that extreme.

One of the inside lamps was on, perfectly illuminating the blonde that slipped through its light. Natsu sat up straighter and studied her. She'd changed out of her soiled nightgown into a black one that put her breasts on display somehow even _more_ than before. Against the blackness, her golden locks and red mouth stood out. She twitched by; it was only a second. That was all Natsu needed to see that her curves filled out every inch of fabric in a way that was slightly maddening. How could she be so…

He searched for an adjective and found himself wanting. Sting chirped in his head, offering a crude word, one that wasn't exactly right but more right than where he was going. Yet, Natsu rejected it _and_ the image it drummed up. _Angel_ was fuckable. Flare. Kagura. Hell, even that Strauss girl. Lucy? She was just Heartfilia's little pet, pampered and powdered and made to look good so every time the cameras were in the Heartfilia's faces they were the perfect fucking image of what every modern age family _should_ be. Rich, beautiful, happy. And Lucy, what every modern girl _wanted_ to be, soft, plump. Perfect.

She came back into view. Natsu's mouth dried up. She'd shucked off the nightgown for two scraps of white fabric that hugged her body and showed off a ridiculous amount of skin. Seeing prim and proper Lucy like that…

Watching her turn, towel in hand, and walk away, Natsu felt his body stir. He chewed his cheek hard to lessen the reaction. _You're not a fucking dog. You're not a fourteen-year-old kid, too horny for your own good. Smarten up._

And get up. He heard one of the cottage doors open, Lucy's voice drifted around from the back of the building. A man answered her. Natsu tiptoed through the too-long grass, the blades dampening his footfalls, and approached their location.

* * *

The grass turned to limestone near Rosewood Lake. Lucy padded barefooted over the cool rocks through the tall pine trees to the water's edge. The water was flat calm tonight, its surface reflecting the moon. Lucy caught sight of herself in the crystal-clear image and curled her nose up. Her belly was revealed and much of her breasts. Turning, she looked and saw that most of the bottom of her behind was, too. She'd never owned a bathing suit like this and she wasn't at all sure how she felt about it.

"You look fine," Loke said.

"You can see everything," Lucy complained.

"So get in the water and no one can see nothing," Loke replied.

His logic was sound. "Are you going to get in, too?"

He shook his head. "I think I should keep an eye on things out here."

Lucy pushed his words to the side, not wanting to digest what exactly he meant. She was supposed to be getting away from her worries, not wondering if a Tudor with _Magnolia Police Department_ stamped on the side was going to come screaming into the driveway. The water welcomed her, warmer than the air. Aquarius' key around her neck heated, pleased, as always, to be near such a large, natural body of water. Lucy smiled and clutched the metal. _Everything will be okay._

She believed it in that moment.

It got deep fast, smooth rock giving way to a lot of nothing. Lucy kicked and kicked, unconcerned with what may be in the deep, and looked up at the glittering moon. The stars were brightest just before dawn. Looking at the navy blue sky, Lucy thought there was an hour until the sun rose. She planned out her day. She'd go in, get Loke to help her build that fire, and then she'd get the sleeping bag from Gray's cupboard. It wouldn't fit as well as it used to, but it'd be fine enough. She'd curl up with a pillow and sleep until noon. Then she'd make some strudels if Gray had flour and jam and some canned peaches, just like her mother taught her. And afterward? If it got dark and Gray still hadn't shown up, she'd take some money from the floorboards and be on the move again so he didn't have to involve himself in her escape any more than necessary.

Lucy ducked beneath the water and stayed that way for as long as her lungs would allow. Or until she felt Loke's key heat up. She shot to the surface again, smoothing her hair back from her face and blinking water from her eyes. She studied the shore, looking for her spirit. She didn't see him.

"Loke?"

Treading water as quietly as possible was hard work. Lucy held her breath, listening. There was nothing.

"Loke?"

Still no reply. Lucy edged toward the banks, heart in her throat. "Loke? Can you hear me?"

A lighter _whicked, whicked._ Lucy followed the sound and found the flame. His face was lit up for only a second. It was enough for recognition. Natsu Dragneel. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Sorry about your spirit. Zeref says they always come back, though, unless they're stuck here and cut off from the celestial realm."

His voice was as rough as Lucy remembered. "What did you do to him?"

He hauled on his cigarette, illuminating his sharp face. "I broke his neck. And then he just… disappeared."

Lucy's blood roared in her ears. Her feet landed on the limestone bottom. "Why would you do that?"

"Because he would have done the same to me," Natsu replied shortly.

"No he wouldn't have, he—"

"Would have, Lucy, because I'm here to take you back. Get out of the water." He waved her on.

Lucy made two fists tight enough that her nails dug into her palm. "No."

Natsu raised his brow. "No?"

Lucy said, "You heard me. I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm not being sold back to my father."

"Awe, come on, don't be like that." He puffed on his cigarette again. "Don't you want to go home to daddy?"

Lucy ground her teeth together. "I would rather die."

"I don't believe you."

Lucy grabbed the keys around her neck and reached for her power. "Open, Gate of the—"

Natsu drew his gun and pointed it at her chest. "Hands off."

"Water bearer, Aq—"

Natsu squeezed the trigger. The water inches from her belly exploded. Lucy screamed, the spell faded. The night was deathly quiet after that. Natsu shattered the perceived calmness. "Out, now. Hands off your keys. Slow."

"You won't shoot me," Lucy said after a moment.

"Try me."

"I don't have to. You want to sell me. You don't want me dead," she reasoned.

"No one said anything about maimed, though. There are lots of places to shoot someone that won't kill them, Lucy. Out of the water, now." He was as cold as anything. Lucy's heart contracted.

"I won't—"

Natsu squeezed the trigger again. This time the water beside her fingers erupted. Lucy squeaked.

"Damn," Natsu muttered lowly, "Missed."

Lucy moved after that, so fast she tripped. She was up again in seconds and out of the water.

"Not so fast, don't need you going for any weapons or anything," Natsu told her. He sounded a little distant. Lucy slowed and exited at a more reasonable pace, studying him studying _her._ There was a look on his face that she knew too well. Her stomach clenched. She wrapped her arms around her body, aware all over again of her bathing suit. The movement made Natsu's finger twitch around the trigger. Lucy caught her breath and waited for the bullet that never came.

"Come here."

"Please—I don't want any trouble—"

"Then come here, Lucy," Natsu told her steadily. He waved her on by flicking his gun. He hadn't taken his eyes off her body once, though it looked like he _wanted_ to, lips curled and eyes narrowed in an expression of discontent.

Lucy relaxed her shoulders, an idea coming to her, and toed her way over the rocks and lichen. Natsu stood when she was within range. Lucy came close and shivered as the cool air met and converged with the heat coming off his skin. When she stopped, he stepped in that extra little bit so there were mere millimetres between them and searched her eyes.

"Good." The gun went into a holster at his hip and then his hands came up and moved her hair aside. His touch was more abrupt than not, fingers scalding hot against her skin. He worked quickly, so quickly in fact, that by the time Lucy realized what he was doing, she was almost too late.

She placed her hand against his chest and got a little bit closer. His plain white shirt was going to be damp when she moved away; Lucy didn't care. With the way he stalled up, it looked like maybe he didn't, either. She kept the smile off her face, subbing in a patented pout instead. "Wait."

His fingers slowed but didn't stop.

Figuring that was the best she was going to get, Lucy said, "If it's money you want, I can get some for you. I have access to my father's fortune. Whatever the Den wants."

"It's my brother that wants money, Lucy," Natsu said. "What I want can't really be bought. It's a kid named Happy, a kid your father took."

Right. Lucy didn't let herself get deterred. She placed her other palm on his body, resting it against his hip. "I remember. I asked about him, you know? I said I would and I did."

Natsu's gaze sharpened. "You did?"

 _Now_ his hands stopped. "Yes," Lucy breathed. She pressed their bodies together, hoping to distract him with that sensation while she closed her hand around the butt of his pistol. "I didn't get the answer you wanted, but I might be able to help in another way."

"And what's that?" His eyes were heavy lidded. He watched her mouth as she spoke, and when he wasn't watching that, he was looking at her breasts.

Lucy got herself on tiptoe a little more; their mouths were almost even now. She could _feel_ his hot breath, smelling like cigarettes and something sweet, brushing over her lips. She looked at him through her eyelashes. "I know a few warehouses my father has. Maybe your friend is in one of those."

Natsu pressed his palm against her shoulder blades. "Yeah?"

"Yes. All you have to do is let me go. And, of course, be quiet about my location." She felt confident then, bartering with one of the most dangerous men in Magnolia while he pressed hard into her leg. It was something he couldn't hide and that she used _shamelessly_ , thinking most men were easy. A smile here, the right touch there, the correct words and maybe a kiss to seal the deal if need be.

He squeezed her tight; one hand stayed by her neck while the other dropped over her slick skin to her waist. "Lucy…"

"Mmhm?"

He squeezed her hip well into the realms of discomfort. "Why the _fuck_ would I do that when you're worth more to me as my prisoner?"

Despite the hardness between his legs, Lucy read him well enough. His tone said it all. She'd get no quarter here. She pushed away from him at the same time she tugged his gun from its holster and scrambled back. Her toes hit the water. She raised the gun and aimed. Gray trilled in her head. ' _Nothing fancy. Center of mass. Or the guts.'_

She cocked the hammer. It took two tries; her hands were shaking too much. Finally, it fell into place. "Put—put your hands up." It'd be better if her voice didn't warble quite so much.

Natsu lifted his hands. Lucy's heart stopped. There in his grasp was her celestial keys. Aquarius' was strained between his fingers, on the verge of breaking. Lucy patted her neck just to be sure. She knew he was working on getting it off, but she didn't even _feel_ the chain sliding over her skin.

"You're a thief."

"And you're a pampered flake." He held out his hand. "Give me the gun."

"No," Lucy said stubbornly.

"Now, Lucy, or I'm going to break this key."

"You wouldn't," she challenged. "Not with a gun on you."

"There aren't any bullets in that," Natsu said.

Lucy fingered the revolver. "You're a liar. There should be six shots. You let off two. There are four more."

"I only left two in the chamber," Natsu told her.

"You're a _liar_ ," Lucy snapped.

Natsu shrugged. "Go ahead. Pull the trigger, skag."

Lucy fumed. "Skag?"

Natsu said nothing.

"You didn't think I was such a skag a minute ago." She _knew_ he was watching her. He couldn't hide _that._

Again, Natsu said nothing.

"What's the matter, rattle your cage?" Lucy asked. "Cat got your tongue? Can't say anything because you know it's true?"

When Natsu spoke again, it wasn't to agree or disagree. "Give me the gun."

"No," Lucy replied again. "Give me my keys back."

Natsu stepped toward her. Lucy lifted the gun higher. "I'll shoot!"

He smirked and shook his head. The next time he moved, Lucy pulled the trigger. The gun clicked, clicked, clicked. Before it could go off the fourth time, Natsu tore it from her hands and pointed it toward the woods. He tugged the trigger. An _actual_ bullet came out this time. Lucy jumped and yelped, surprised by the sound. Natsu shoved the gun in his holster once more and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Come on."

Lucy balled her hand into a fist. The second time she ever hit someone was more impressive than the first. This time she was _committed._ The punch connected solidly with Natsu's jaw. He took it like a champ. Lucy, on the other hand, hurt so badly she cried.

"You don't know how to punch," Natsu advised her, like she didn't _know_ that already. He tugged her toward the cottage again. Lucy stumbled after him, hurt and frustrated and _angry_.

* * *

Merry Christmas, happy new year! See you 2017. Thanks for reading!

-Freyja


	8. Chapter 8

Natsu felt every detail. Lucy's wrist trapped in the vice of his fingers was delicate, soft, damp from the water and cold. Beneath that layer, he felt her blood throbbing in her veins. She was scared. Even if he couldn't feel her heart, he could smell her fear, sour. _Maybe you shouldn't have been such a dick._ He hadn't really planned on shooting her. Not unless she made him. Scaring her to get his way? Absolutely. _So it's fine._ Except, now, feeling her tremble, he felt like a bully.

 _Because you are. Don't feel bad about it._

That's what got him through.

When he _still_ tasted the unpleasant tang of guilt, he thought of the last time Chief Jude Heartfilia came into the slums chasing a thief. He'd kicked a girl named Evergreen to death in broad daylight, unafraid with two of his deputies at his side. She wasn't the Den's, she was one of Laxus', which meant she was one of Jellal's, but everyone in the slums had felt that blow. It signified a coming war.

 _Coming?_ He scoffed to himself. It was already happening. _And you're struggling just to hit back._ _You don't have to be nice to anything that belongs to Heartfilia._ His daughter included. Natsu dug his fingers in more and felt Lucy's tendons roll. She hissed. Confident he had her attention, he asked, "Where are the warehouses?"

"I lied," Lucy said after a moment.

Sand and gravel turned into limestone beneath their feet. "You lied."

"Yes."

There was a stubborn note in her voice that Natsu knew well enough. "Nah. I don't think so. You're lying now, though."

Lucy tugged her wrist out of his hand in an abrupt movement. Natsu watched her scurry, free for a total of three seconds before he went after her again. She wasn't used to running like he was, she didn't have to do it almost every day with cops and dogs and bullets on her heels sometimes. This time when he grabbed her wrist, he felt the bones strain. Lucy sobbed and came up short. He was ready for her poorly executed right hook, catching it and pulling her close enough that she couldn't hit him anymore.

Lucy cried, then begged. "Let me go!"

She sounded so forlorn—sad and lost and helpless—Natsu almost did exactly that. He hesitated seeing a glint behind her eye. His gut told him that yeah, maybe she was scared, but she was pouring it on a little thick. "Not until I get Happy back.

Lucy's Bambi eyes borrowed into his. "And if he's dead?"

"He won't be."

"He might be."

"Then," Natsu said as coldly as he could, "I'll take something important away from Jude Heartfilia, Lucy."

"You're a horrible man."

"Where are the warehouses?"

"There's—one on Amber Drive."

 _Amber Drive…_ a little visited spot south of the court houses. "And the others?"

"That's the only one I know," Lucy said.

" _Liar_. Protecting your father is only making this harder on yourself."

"I'm not," Lucy said. "Really. Please let me go now. You have what you want."

Natsu ground his teeth together and pulled her toward the Tudor.

Lucy leaned away from him again, putting great strain on her wrist. "Please, don't make me go back."

Natsu thought she'd fall to the ground, as stubborn as a child. He prepared to pick her up and carry her all the way to the car even though he didn't want her any closer than she had to be. "Keep walking and shut up."

"I gave you what you wanted—"

He stopped and swung around so they were nose-to-nose. She smelled like lake water and jasmine and someone else's pomade. "I don't want to hurt you, Lucy, I want you to go home to daddy and rot in luxury like a good little puppet, but I swear to _fuck_ if you don't start cooperating and stop feeding me sob stories, I'm going to start breaking your keys one by one until you _do."_

"You're a horrible man," she said again.

"Good. I've been working on it." He tugged her toward the Tudor.

Quieter than before, Lucy asked, "Can I at least get my clothing, please? I don't—I'm not decent."

 _Yes._ Oh my god, _yes._ He'd stop looking at all that skin and all those curves, thinking about all the horrible, amazing things he could do with them. He'd stop thinking about taking that white bikini off and chewing on her fingers, tasting red nail polish. Maybe he'd get the image out of his head of her swimming in the bright blue ripples by the light of the moon, looking like some kind of warped heaven.

He changed course abruptly and dragged her toward the cottage without a word. They went in through the back door. Natsu pushed Lucy ahead of him and watched her feet leave wet stains on the wooden floor, and then on the carpet. One eye on the blonde, the other on his surroundings, he took stock of the place, cataloging the moose head and the dust and fading smells.

"This your sweetie's place?" Natsu hadn't meant to ask but listened closely for her answer.

Lucy looked over her shoulder, damp hair sticking to her drying skin, and didn't respond, obviously trying to see an ulterior motive in his question.

"Doesn't matter none to me," Natsu said defensively, "Just making conversation." She turned away from him without a word and ducked into a room that smelled so pungently of Gray Fullbuster, Natsu crinkled his nose. Lucy tried to close the door on him. He pushed it wide. "Stays open."

"I'm trying to get dressed," Lucy protested.

"I don't trust you not to try anything stupid," Natsu told her.

Her cheeks were red. "You can't just—"

"It isn't anything I haven't seen before," Natsu said. Or touched. He'd done his best to remain impartial when checking her for keys the other day; he still remembered the soft feel of her body, unfortunately and likely would until he distracted himself with someone else.

Lucy looked like she was going to fight more. Then a stubbornness befell her that was something to behold. She dug through her pack at the end of the bed, finding a red dress. Natsu watched right up to the point she reached behind herself to get her bikini unclasped, then he found a very interesting painting on the wall and focused intently on the corner. He could still see her out of the corner of his eye. He made it a priority _not to look,_ hating himself for stirring up a very brief fantasy in which she _wanted_ him to.

She was done in record time, dressed in a scarlet atrocity (in the best way) accentuated with black trim and white polka dots. Fancy black pumps went on her feet last. They were the finest lady's shoes Natsu had seen.

"You always dress like that?"

Lucy stopped running her fingers through her knotted hair. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

Natsu shook his head. "Never mind, princess." She wouldn't get it; she'd probably never _owned_ a scrap of clothing that didn't cost her daddy three hundred bucks.

"I don't know what your problem is—"

"Come on." He reached for her again, fingers closing around her wrist. He knew he held her too tight; she'd have marks there, a girl like Lucy, he couldn't let her go. She pulled up just short enough to grab her bag. Natsu thought about telling her to drop it, but after he broke her spirit's neck and left his fingerprints on her body, maybe she deserved _something_.

 _You're not a monster, after all._ He only felt like one.

 _Don't go soft._

He consoled himself by thinking it wasn't soft, he was just being a better person than Jude Heartfilia would be. He wouldn't kick Lucy to death in some piss-drenched back alley. If it came to it, he'd look her in her big, beautiful eyes while he put a bullet between them. He hoped it never came to that, for more reasons than just because he wanted Happy home safe. He didn't think he'd take much gratification out of killing people like her. Earl, on the other hand, got everything that was coming to him. Lucy… She was a product of her upbringing, not less guilty for it, but naive. A minor distinction, yet it was that knowledge that kept him sane when he felt like he was drowning in blood and broken fingers and starving.

She didn't fight coming out of the cottage; she did request locking it, however. Natsu allowed for that, too. It was only a flick of the deadbolt after all. He did impart some wisdom. "You know, if someone really wants in here, that lock ain't gonna hold them back for long."

"Maybe not people like you."

"Hate to break the news, but people like me are the _only ones_ going to be knocking on this door."

Lucy clammed up tight. That was, until they exited the twisting, moon-lit drive and onto the empty road. There, gleaming on the shoulder, bright against the lusterless pines, she saw the Tudor. "That's Gray's car."

"Sure is," Natsu agreed.

Lucy stopped in her tracks. "God. What did you do? Is he in the trunk? Or did you kill him? How could you do that? You're a—"

"Horrible man, got it," Natsu said with a roll of his eye.

"Don't you ever feel bad for anything?" Lucy snapped.

"Your beau's fine. Maybe just a case of sore feet after he walks home." He didn't know why he bothered telling her that; maybe so she'd be more cooperative. Not because he didn't want her to think too badly of him.

"I don't believe you," Lucy said.

"You don't have to." Natsu tugged her roughly. "Hurry it up."

Lucy staggered in her heels. Natsu's hand on her wrist prevented her from going down. After that, she huffed in a way that only the rich could and walked with pride, back straight, shoulders squared, heels click, click, clicking on the tar and gravel road. He tried to open her door for her, being the gentlemanly thing to do. She pushed his hand aside and did it on her own, dropping herself into the passenger seat with her bag between her knees. She closed the door, too, tearing it out of his hand and almost closing his fingers in it. Natsu studied her for two beats with the window between them. She was upset, he could see it in the brightness of her cheeks. Her hair was unbrushed and knotty, leaving a wet stain on her dress. For all of that, her determination kept her hopelessness at bay. He wasn't fooled; Lucy Rosanta Heartfilia was _not_ about to go quietly, no matter how fucking prim she sat in that front seat, fingers folded neatly in her lap like a lady.

She started to turn to look at him; Natsu moved before he could get caught staring, jogging around the front of the Tudor to the driver's seat. He left the door open while he hot-wired the engine into life. Lucy looked at him skeptically.

"You truly are a professional criminal."

"You truly are a professional princess," he replied.

Colour went into Lucy's neck. "I'm not a princess."

Natsu slammed the door and threw the car into drive. "Who made your dinner tonight, Lucy?"

Her response was immediate. "I didn't have dinner."

He scowled at her, a mean joke on his tongue. He couldn't make it come out; he liked the way she looked. Just a little. They fell into a silence only interrupted by the revving of the Tudor's motor. Natsu kept his eyes on the yellow line swaying down the middle of the road and listened to Lucy breathe. And to her stomach grumble. The talk of dinner reminded her she hadn't had anything since that bacon that morning.

"There are chips on the floor."

"I'm not feeding you," Lucy snapped.

"For _you_ , you're hungry."

She visibly softened, gold turned molten. She hardened again just as quickly. "I have my own food, thank you." She reached between her legs and started going through her bag.

"Hands out," Natsu said.

"I'm just getting peanuts," she protested.

Natsu held out one hand, keeping his eyes on the road as he said, "Give me the bag and I'll get them."

She blatantly ignored him, pulling out the bag and eating a handful while staring at him challengingly. Natsu glared at her, thinking of ways to take that cocky _'what are you going to do_ ' look from Lucy's face.

They came to a T intersection at the highway. Natsu took the corner at forty without stopping, cutting off a coming transport. Lucy yelped as the other driver blared his horn. Natsu's heart beat just a touch faster as he stomped the accelerator and barely avoided being creamed. Next to him, Lucy planted her palms on the dash to keep herself steady. Her peanuts went wild, spilling over the car while it zagged, fishtailing down the highway for a solid six seconds. As soon as it straightened out again, she started cussing.

"I didn't know you knew those words."

"Pull the car over right now," Lucy fumed.

Natsu smirked and slammed on the breaks so he could swing into a motel flashing a vacancy sign. The tires locked over the dirt and gravel driveway, bringing them to a rough halt.

Lucy paled. "What are you doing?"

"Thought you wanted to pull over?"

"At a motel?" Her neck was even more red than before.

Natsu channeled Sting in an effort to make Lucy uncomfortable. "I thought a girl like you would be happy, too classy to play backseat bingo."

She stammered and reached for her bag like it was a lifeline while she inched toward the door with her other hand.

Natsu shook his head. "Gullible, eh?"

"What?"

"We're switching cars, not fucking."

She still looked at him incredulously.

"Trust me, I wouldn't waste my money."

Lucy muttered something equally mean, embarrassed and flustered.

Natsu let the poor jibe go and scoped for a new car. He found the perfect one without much effort. Beneath a flickering amber street lamp sat a black, 1951 Chevy Impala. "Oh, _yes._ "

Lucy followed his gaze. "I'm not getting in that car with you."

Natsu held up her gate keys. "I disagree."

Lucy reached for them; he pushed her hand away. "When we get back, I'm going to Amber Drive while Zeref contacts your father. If I don't find Happy, you're going to ask Daddy real sweet-like where he is. He's going to tell you."

Lucy opened her mouth to interject. Natsu bowled over her. " _When that happens_ and we have our money and Happy back, you can have your keys back."

"You're going to break them," Lucy said, nearly frantic.

"I won't if you don't fuck up."

"Please," she begged in that _way_ she had, with her eyes as big as planets and her chin wobbling. "They're alive like you and me, they feel pain, and they're innocent."

Natsu put the chain around his neck; the keys sat heavily on his sternum, the gold colder than his skin. "Come on." He wasn't going to waste time defending his character to her; she either believed him or not. "Climb out this way." He opened his own door and grabbed her wrist again, tugging her through the middle of the car. Lucy came, dress riding up around her thighs. Natsu was rewarded for looking by smacking his head on the doorframe. Frustrated, he was eager to be out in the chilled night, hoping the coldness would clear his mind. It certainly helped.

When Lucy was standing, bag clutched in her hand, Natsu put his hand between her shoulder blades and guided her to the Impala. The door was locked. Natsu swore beneath his breath.

"Guess we'll have to stick with the Tudor. Or you could just call the whole thing off," Lucy suggested.

"Give me something out of your bag."

"What?"

"A dress or something," Natsu clarified.

"I don't see what that's going to do—"

"Now."

She huffed and did as he asked, pulling out her golden scarf. "Is this alright?"

Natsu took the fragrant article and wrapped it around his fist. After a covert look around the empty parking lot, he jabbed the rear window with most of his might. The glass burst loudly; Lucy sucked in a startled breath. Natsu unwrapped the scarf quickly and reached in to unlock the door.

Lucy didn't wait for an invitation this time, she climbed right in as soon as she was able, crawling to the passenger side as she did before. Natsu made quick work of the wires beneath the steering column. This was a skill Zeref _insisted_ upon. If you were going to steal, you best be good. The engine roared in a much more satisfying way than the Tudor's had. When he looked up, Lucy was studying him carefully, a smooth looking revolver in her hand, pointed at his chest.

It took Natsu a solid second to process that. "A gun?"

Lucy licked her lips nervously. "Yes."

He was going to ask where she got it from but had his own question answered by the _Magnolia Police Department_ stamp pressed into the barrel's steel.

"Get out of the car and step back and I won't shoot," Lucy said. "You know I will now."

Natsu chewed his tongue until it hurt. _Be smart, be smart_ , Zeref chirruped in his head. He felt dumb as a stump right now and miffed. _Negotiate? Back down?_ Act. Quick as a snake, he grabbed the barrel and tore it out of Lucy's hand. Not before she pulled the trigger, though. His leg went numb and his pants soaked. He cussed just as fluently now as he did the first time he was shot three years ago. Then it had been in the arm by a stray bullet during a fight between the Den and one of their rivals. Since that day, he'd been hit twice more, once in the ribs (he couldn't remember a time when Zeref was more scared—he'd emptied his entire clip into the shooter shortly thereafter) and once in the ass. He knew what to expect, numbness, shock, a slow build to a high-frequency pain. It never hurt less, no matter how much experience he had.

Lucy blinked dumbly, surprised. Maybe she said she'd shoot, but she had no fucking idea what to expect. Natsu snorted and tore the clip out of the gun. That went into his pocket while the gun itself found home in the backseat amongst all of the takeout garbage. A door in the motel opened and a woman in tiny lingerie popped her head out to see what the commotion was.

"Fuck." Natsu tumbled into the driver's seat and closed the door. His leg was mostly numb, however when he put his foot down on the accelerator, the Impala roared to life, tires spinning gravel. Bits hit the metal 'Customer Parking' sign at their rear, tinging noisily. And then they were on the highway again, leaving rubber trails in their wake.

Chattering drew Natsu's attention from the slowly building pain in his leg. He glanced in Lucy's direction. It was her teeth. She looked especially pale. "Don't hurl." If she started, he would, too. And it was a nice car, too nice for that shit.

Lucy took in a breath. "Are you okay?"

"Seriously?"

"You're—you're bleeding. Bad."

"Just sit proper and mind your own," Natsu told her.

She did—for a whole ten minutes. Then she couldn't seem to stop herself. "This isn't going to end well for you, you know?"

Taking his gaze off the road was hard, it made his head whirl. "I think it's going to be just fine." He looked back in time to swerve hard to keep them on the road. Lucy squeaked, scared. Natsu's blood pumped harder, which meant he bled more.

"You need to go to a hospital," Lucy said in a voice that was several octaves higher than normal.

Natsu concentrated harder on the road. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine." They passed a green sign that read, 'Port Terrace.' "There's a turnoff here, there's a hospital. We'll go in and—"

"No hospital," Natsu growled.

"Why are you being like this?"

He pointed at himself. "Criminal." He pointed at her. "Hostage. No."

"No one knows us—"

"If you think that, you're dumb."

Lucy threw her hands into the air. "Fine."

Natsu shook his head, a motion he stopped almost as soon as he started. "Take that scarf and tie up my leg if you want to do something useful."

She was slow to act, weighing the pros and cons of helping him. She buckled like Natsu knew she would; she was soft. Scooting over, she took the scarf from the seat, shook out any remaining glass, and then just stared at his bleeding leg.

"It's not going to do itself," Natsu told her.

She squared her shoulders and moved in. Though it hurt, Natsu lifted his leg off the seat for her, making room for her to slip the scarf beneath his leg. She was blushing so furiously reaching between his legs for that material, a feeling that fled when she tightened the scarf and he hissed.

She sat back and looked up at him with her dark and damp eyes. "Are you okay?"

She was unbelievable. "Next time, make sure you actually want to shoot someone."

"I—I did."

"Sure thing, doll."

She bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Natsu couldn't answer, his tongue was too dry. The wheels hit the rumble strip. He corrected. The road blurred. _Focus._ He fiddled with the radio, thinking it'd help. Chuck Barrie came on, Johnnie B. Goode. He rested his hand on his leg; the scarf was soaked through in blood. _Already?_

"The upholstery is getting wrecked," he muttered mostly to hear his own voice.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"Blood's wrecking the upholstery. It was—a nice car."

"Natsu!"

A huge blaring sound made Natsu's heart throb. _What?_ He realized that Elvis Presley's Don't Be Cruel had come on the radio _and_ his eyes were closed. He opened them in time to swerve out of the way of an approaching pickup truck. Beside him, Lucy was yelling in a piercing decibel; he barely heard her, just bits and pieces. ' _Pull over. You're crazy. You almost killed us. Pull over. Pull over.'_

 _Pull over._

Yeah.

 _Be smart._

Yeah.

 _You can't get Happy back if you're dead._

Yeah.

He jammed on the breaks, bringing them to a stop in the middle of the road. Lucy came back into focus, puffing erratically.

"God _damn._ You almost killed us."

Natsu threw the car into park and moved toward the center seat. "Drive."

"What?"

"Drive."

Lucy barely hesitated climbing over him. It was awkward. Her heels dug into his boots, she got blood on her dress, she put her body all over his. He had a hard time appreciating the brief moment she straddled his lap with her breasts in his face. It passed before he really registered it, anyway.

Lucy flopped into the driver's seat and gripped the wheel in white-knuckled hands and admitted, "I've never driven before."

Natsu struggled to stay conscious. "Gas's on the right, brake's left. D is drive. Pull the shifter in when you change gears. Stay in the lines."

She let her breath go. "Alright."

A car raced up behind them, slowed. Natsu's guts churned with nerves. The car blew past them as soon as they realized that they were stopped. They got the horn. "Go, Lucy."

The Impala lurched into drive. Lucy started slow, turning the wheel.

"The hell are you doing?"

"We missed the turnoff for Port Terrace half a kilometer—"

"We're not going to the fucking hospital."

"You need to see someone!"

"Yeah, her name's Wendy. Drive. Magnolia."

"Please—"

"Drive!" he barked.

Lucy clammed up, scared, and started on their way. Natsu leaned his head against the window, sick already. Being a passenger was the most disagreeable thing he could think of. Only a minute in and he thought he could drive, actually, if it meant his guts would stop trying to come out of his throat. His eyes closed.

"Stop weaving."

"I'm not trying to," Lucy said.

"Well, you are." Talking was hard.

She grumbled. In the seconds that followed, her driving got smoother.

"Natsu?"

"Mm."

"Even if we make it back to your 'Den', everyone knows where it is—"

Natsu peaked at her through his lashes. "We're not holing up in those tunnels still. What do you think we are, stupid?"

Lucy's silence said it all.

Natsu closed his eyes.

And opened them again a second later as Lucy said, "Any deal you make will always end the same way. My father will find your hideout and he'll gut it. He won't negotiate, he never does—everyone in Magnolia _knows_ that."

"Yeah, Lucy, everyone knows."

Lucy said, "Then _why_ are you doing this?"

"Happy—"

"Is it worth a war with the police?"

"If it were your spirits, would you let it be?" Natsu volleyed back, choosing the only thing he knew Lucy seemed to care about.

She sighed. "If we're not going back to the industrial district, I don't know where I'm going."

"Dreg House."

"What?"

He grunted in an effort to gather energy. "Stellar Drive. Fifty-seven. Dreg House."

The last thing Natsu thought before unconsciousness took him was, Zeref was going to be _pissed._


	9. Chapter 9

To keep panic at bay, Lucy focused on the kilometers of tar disappearing beneath the Impala's wheels, on the rumble of the engine, and on Natsu's breathing. _Are you really going to bring him back to the Dragon's Den?_ She was frightened. She thought about taking her keys back—and _did_ as soon as she was brave enough to look away from the road and grab them from his neck—and kicking his ass out on the side of the road for someone else to find, but she kept replaying the moment he looked over at her and asked, ' _If it were your spirits, would you let it be_?'

"God _damnit_ ," she muttered. "You can't seriously be this stupid, Lucy." More than ever, she wanted to call on Loke and get his opinion, but he was stuck in the celestial realm—she'd _tried_ —and likely would be until he healed. So she settled on talking aloud to herself "Natsu Dragneel is a violent psychopath. He's an unpredictable _ass_ that doesn't care about anything or anyone. If he was awake right now, you'd be in the passenger seat, berated about—about _everything_ you do—and then sold back to your father like your some kind of goddamn prize."

There was the Magnolia sign, bright green in the headlights. She took her foot off the gas, slowing as she considered taping a note to Natsu's front that said, 'Please return to fifty-seven Stellar Drive.' A look at his shot leg and she knew she never would; he'd die before someone picked him up and did anything with him. _So drop him at the goddamn hospital._ And then what about his friend? Natsu would likely be arrested like he claimed and Happy would die because her father was a horrible man. _If he's not already._

"Ugh!" Screaming aloud didn't help her frustration. It didn't wake Natsu, either. Worried, she sped up again, unconcerned now about how the wheels swayed, how the car drifted toward the yellow line and then the white. If Natsu wasn't awake to be a big baby about being car sick, well, why shouldn't she take advantage of that?

"Alright," she said, coming to a decision. "This is how it's going to go, Natsu. I'm going to drop you off at fifty-seven Stellar Lane like you asked, right at the front door. I'm going to knock and then I'm going to take off, got it? And then we're _even._ I owe you _nothing._ "

He didn't respond; she didn't think he would.

"You're never coming after me again; you're never selling me back to my father. I'm taking this car and I'm getting out of town. Next time you show up, I'm—I'm going to shoot for real. It won't be your leg that gets hit. And I'm _not_ saving you." She tagged the last on for herself, needing to hear it spoken aloud. The idea of letting him die left her feeling sick. She didn't want to ever be burdened with that feeling again. "I'm not messing around."

Over a bump, Natsu's head bounced gruesomely against the window. Lucy winced. "You better be alive." She didn't want to be driving back for nothing.

On the horizon, bright against night's black, Magnolia was a spider web of light, sprawled and intricate. Lucy couldn't appreciate its beauty, she was too anxious thinking, _you're in a stolen car, the police are looking for you, and you're driving your kidnapper back to his layer. You are a stupid, stupid girl_.

The Everly Brother's came on the radio, _Wake up Little Susie._ Lucy couldn't help but insert her name instead and think _what the_ hell.

Natsu's breathing audibly slowed. _Don't freak out. drive._ She put her foot down and crossed the train tracks into town. Streetlights illuminated the road, leading her back into Magnolia proper, past Lilac Crescent, beyond the housing district, into the bar district, past the industrial. Factories, factories, factories.

Stellar Drive.

Lucy blew past it. She had to stop and come back. There was no one on the street to question her driving skills as she did a five-point turn. Thankful, she turned down the right street and hoped she was going the proper way.

She was not.

Around she went once more. This time, there was a woman on the corner dressed scantily that gave her a peculiar look. Lucy refused to return it for fear of being recognized, though she questioned the woman's ability to see into her car at night. Slowly now, she followed the road to a place where the streetlights became infrequent and the concrete's quality failed. A pulp mill came into view, windows boarded up, grass too long. She slowed more, straining to see the street number. Fifty-five. Her stomach clenched. _Close._ She edged the car further down the street and her destination fell into line with her headlights, a huge building with a grey brick façade, an untidy lawn and curtained windows.

She blew out a noisy breath. "Okay. Alright." She glanced at Natsu. He was still slouched against the window. _Is he dead?_ If he was, she didn't want to touch him. _Just drive away._ Yeah, drive away with a dead man in the car? She almost laughed hysterically. _Calm down,_ she thought, recognizing her peculiar reaction to stress. _He's not dead. But he will be if you don't put him out on the street._

Alright. Okay.

Directly out front, she pulled over, hopping the curb accidently. Natsu jerked forward, cheek smearing across the window. Lucy almost laughed again. She swallowed the feeling down. Leaving the car on the sidewalk, she fought to get the gear shift into the 'P' position. It was hard to move. Gears grinded. Finally, it took.

Getting out and moving through the night felt like inviting disaster. The front of the 'Dreg House' was still; there was a light on somewhere deep inside the building, Lucy could see it through one of the dusty old drapes. _Someone's inside._ She was both glad and terrified to learn that.

 _Okay._

 _Okay._

She left her door open and the engine running and hurried as fast as her stupid high heels would allow. The headlights lit her up like a Christmas tree. She wanted to cuss. She went faster instead, grabbing the passenger door and tugging it open. There, she ran into another problem. Natsu. He tumbled out, as limp as a ragdoll. He would have fallen flat onto the sidewalk but Lucy sort of caught him around the shoulders. She stood there for a moment, his body pressing into hers, and considered what she'd do next. Carry him all the way in? _I'm not strong enough._ Leave him here beside the 'No Parking' sign? _He might not be seen and bleed to death…_

Moonlight reflecting off her keys gave her an idea. She grabbed Virgo's and called the spirit into the real world in a wash of light.

Without missing a beat, Virgo addressed her. "Princess."

Lucy's cringe was double-fold. ' _Princess.'_ If Natsu heard Virgo addressing her like that, she'd never live it down. Never mind that she'd asked Virgo to call her that when she was small—he wouldn't understand. Or care. _Screw him. Leave him in the street._

That was just anger talking.

"Princess?"

Lucy swallowed. "Quiet, Virgo."

Virgo dropped her voice. "What are we doing here?"

"Can you bring this man to the stoop there and just—just leave him?"

Virgo whispered, "Isn't this the man that captured you, Princess?"

"Yes, Virgo. He is."

"And he's also the man that hurt big brother."

Lucy could cry. "I know. Just do it, okay? Please? We're running out of time."

"Of course." Virgo not so gently brushed her aside and took her place, easily lifting Natsu into the air. "This man is bleeding, Princess, and dying."

 _Dying,_ not dead. The relief Lucy felt made her legs like jelly. "Yes, I know."

The spirit asked, "Wouldn't his time be better spent in the hospital?"

"He insisted on coming here," Lucy explained.

"He seems rather stupid."

Didn't he? Lucy didn't defend him; she felt plenty stupid herself in that moment.

"Stay at the car," Virgo said as if reading her mind.

"You might run into trouble," Lucy protested.

"Perhaps. You should still stay at the car."

"You're the only spirit I have right now, Virgo. I need water for Aquarius and Loke is out of commission, so I'm going with you."

"Very well," Virgo relented.

For all of her talk, Lucy was brave enough to go to the door only because Virgo was at her side. She tried to walk in the grass to keep her heels from making any noise; they just sunk into the dirt. She returned to the broken path and tiptoed instead, making for an uncomfortable walk all the way up to the door.

"Put him down." Lucy motioned to the topmost of three stairs. Virgo obeyed. Natsu's head lolled limply, falling over the side. Lucy's heart throbbed. "Ready?"

"For?" Virgo wondered.

"Running," Lucy explained impatiently.

"Yes, Princess."

Where she got the courage to knock, Lucy would never know. The sound echoed loudly inside; she imagined that beyond the barrier was a huge cavernous room, and that there was little chance of her presence going unheard. "Let's go."

She didn't wait for Virgo's response, spinning on her heel and barreling down the walk. Moving so quickly, she didn't see the figure before her before they collided and she was thrown off balance. Startled and reeling with nothing there to catch her, there wasn't much choice but to fall flat on her butt on the old cracked sidewalk so hard that the breath exploded from her lungs.

" _Oof_!" came a surprised cry.

Lucy blinked and blinked. Hands clamped around her elbow, pulling her to her feet. Virgo. Vertical, she sought out who had stopped her so abruptly and found a small girl with a tangle of blue hair still confined to the ground on her rump, delicate face screwed up.

"Ow, damn."

 _Wendy,_ Lucy's brain supplied. It was rude not to ask if she was okay. Lucy was feeling particularly uncivil. She tugged out of Virgo's grasp and lurched into a run past the girl.

"Hey!" Wendy finally seemed to realize who she was. "Wait!"

Not likely.

Not intentionally, anyway.

The next step Lucy took, her heel broke. Virgo was there to catch her again. The spirit gathered her into her arms, not taking chances this time, and dashed for the waiting car.

"Wait!"

The old print factory's door opened, allowing faint light to leak into the street. "Faster, Virgo," Lucy chirped, afraid to see who had joined them. The spirit obeyed, bringing them off the walk, across the street to the car door. Virgo was just about to lob her inside more like a bowling ball than a girl when a sticky shadow appeared in the street and slammed the car door closed.

Lucy yelped. Virgo dropped her to the ground and turned, feeding off Lucy's fear, and faced their attacker. Zeref Dragneel was silhouetted by the factory's light; Lucy didn't need to see his face to recognize him or to know that he was angry; his magic came off of him in a sick slick that made her skin crawl and her heart palpitate and her magic do funny things, come in short bursts, weak then powerful and back again, making Virgo fade before she stabilized. _It's fear, focus._

Focus both on keeping her eye on the man approaching and on reaching for the Impala's door.

A black tendril came for her, fast as a whip, in an attempt to push her hand aside. Virgo pushed it back, catching it on her forearm as one might a punch. The magic went wild. Zeref growled and more shadows burst from nooks to do his bidding, rushing toward Lucy. All she could do was imagine the wraiths tearing her apart piece by piece. Fear tried to grab her; her lungs wouldn't work. A pit opened in front of Zeref's feet. He didn't falter, shadows taking him over Virgo's pitfall. _Oh god._ What Lucy wouldn't give for a gun or Loke or Aquarius.

Shadows reached like prying fingers and grabbed Virgo too fast for the spirit to dodge. They snuck up around her neck and started to squeeze. Virgo squirmed and fought. It was no use. Her form wavered, strain put on Lucy's magic.

"Close, gate of the Maiden," Lucy rushed to say before any serious damage could be done. Virgo _harrumphed_ a protest. Lucy slammed her gate closed with all the magic she could summon and felt Loke push from the other side, unhappy that Virgo had been sent back but unable to return himself.

"That was a dumb move," Zeref finally spoke. His voice was pitched low but Lucy heard him plenty well enough. Shadows that had been coiling at his feet came for her. The first slipped around her wrist, cold. Lucy screamed, unable to help herself. Then a shadow came up her neck and wrapped around her mouth, preventing the sound from coming out. For an instant. She wrenched back out of the thing's reach for long enough to spit,

"Wait! Wait—"

It came back for her again.

Lucy fell to her knees to get out of its range; the solution was temporary at best, one still had her by the wrist and more were coming at a speed that was dizzying. She had seconds. "Hang on! It's—important—"

The shadow slapped itself over her mouth, another found her waist, two more her arm, and then she was being pulled against her will through the street, up the pathway toward the Dreg House. Zeref followed using long steps. They slowed at the door.

"Get rid of that fucking car," Zeref barked to someone Lucy was too busy thrashing around to see. "And anyone that was watching."

"Sure, boss." A shadow slipped out to do his bidding.

Lucy was thrust into the building, the door was slammed closed, and then the shadows released her just beyond the threshold. she dropped to the ground ungracefully on her hands and knees and scurried around to look not at her surroundings, there was no time for that now, but at a furious Zeref Dragneel. His eyes burned her up, all of the shadows in the room bending toward him like he was a star with an inescapable gravity.

"Last time we saw each other you were treated fairly. That no longer stands." Had she ever heard someone so cold before? "You tipped your father off, helped destroy my home and _then_ you bring my brother back near dead."

Speaking of Natsu, he was nowhere to be seen. _Someone must have taken him inside when you were trying to get away._ Wendy, likely, as she was nowhere to be found either.

"This time you'll be in chains."

Lucy felt panic descending. She did everything in her power to push it back. "Your brother came after me. I warned him that I had a gun; I told him I'd shoot if he didn't back off."

"Natsu doesn't know what the fuck that means," Zeref raged. Lucy was sure he didn't actually mean to say it; it was just some age old frustration that slipped out. His stress was palpable. He visibly gathered himself together again and flicked his wrist. Dark shadows leapt to do his bidding, wrapping themselves around Lucy's wrists. They felt cold. Another came for her elbow and lifted her from the ground, tugging her away.

"Wait," Lucy pleaded, having visions of being thrown in a cold room with another pit of writhing shadows.

"No." Zeref turned away, making a path toward the back of the room. "I can't even look at you right now."

"Please! Wait," she babbled, figuring she had seconds. "I could have let Natsu die!"

Zeref came to a stop. "Is that a threat?"

 _God._ Lucy could hardly speak. "I mean, I could have, but I didn't."

He hadn't relaxed even a fraction. "He was barely breathing."

"I wanted to go to the hospital," Lucy explained. "He wouldn't. He insisted that we come back here—and I did it. I did it, knowing full well that you wanted to sell me off. I could have just left him on the side of the road or called the police or—"

Zeref spun back around, look of panic on his face. "Did you call the heat? Fuck." He was already moving toward the door without waiting for her answer. Likely going to rally his troops and get on the move again.

" _No_ ," Lucy said. "Listen to me. The police aren't coming."

Like a pendulum, he swung back around and was in her personal space faster than she could blink. "You didn't call them?"

He was intense. "No." Lucy didn't allow herself to wonder if she was saying the right thing.

"Why the fuck not?"

Yeah. Why not? She didn't want to talk about it but had to offer him _something_. "Because. I don't want to go back."

That gave him pause. "You don't want to go back?"

"No. And why is none of your business," she cut in before he could ask. "Just know that I don't. Now—" She was making it up as she went, a feat that became easier with every word. "I will help you find Natsu's friend but there are some boundaries we need to set."

Zeref looked at her in disbelief. He waved her on when he realized she was serious. "By all means, name them."

 _Name them?_ Yes, of course. "I—" Being coherent never seemed like a challenge before. "I won't be your prisoner. I will be treated with respect." That always seemed like a good number one. "And—I get to keep my keys." Very important. "And I'm not sleeping in a magicless room with shadows." Zeref's mouth curled into a small, mean smile that grew with every word she spoke. Lucy didn't let herself get discouraged. "And you're not selling me to my father. You get Happy back and that's it, forget the money. And when all this is done, I go on my way."

Silence stretched.

Zeref's smile dimmed. "Oh, you're serious?"

Lucy bristled. "Of course I'm serious!" At least, for as long as it took not to be thrown into a room chained up. As soon as she could call Loke back, she was _getting out of there_. Sayonara, Dragon's Den. Good riddance.

"And I just bite the bullet and don't get my ransom." Suddenly, he looked like he ate a sour grape.

"Yes," Lucy said stubbornly. "I want a bed and a meal and a shower, too."

Zeref raised a brow. "And if I say no?"

"Then you don't get my help and you risk having this place infiltrated, too. How many men did you lose during that last raid?"

"None," Zeref replied with a note of pride in his voice.

"But can you say the same about the next?" Lucy asked, taking every single trick of manipulation she knew and twisting it to her advantage. "You can avoid a war and get your friend back. You don't win, win, win, but you don't lose, either. Take my offer."

"The war's already here, Lucy," Zeref said.

He sounded so resigned, Lucy almost clamped her lips together. That wasn't the way her father did business, though, and thus, it wasn't the way she did, either. The only answer she wanted was 'yes,' so it was the only one she'd settle for. Jude Heartfilia was a terrible man sometimes, but some of his qualities were admirable. "You can keep it from your doorstep if you agree to treat me decently."

Zeref looked at her for so long, Lucy was sure he was going to say no. He reached out and picked her keys up off her chest. Sliding his fingers over the warm metal, he said, "You can have a bed and a shower. But you're also getting guard detail." He made a fist, squeezing the metal tight. "One foot out of line and you're back to prisoner status. And for the record, I'm not fucking happy about losing that ransom."

"And I'm not happy about being here," Lucy said defiantly.

A door opened somewhere in the back; Lucy wanted to look but didn't dare take her eyes off Zeref. Zeref likewise didn't look away from her. Raising his voice, he asked, "How is he?"

"Stable. He'll be awake in an hour or so. It's a good thing they showed up when they did, though." Lucy recognized Wendy's voice. "Otherwise…"

Zeref's shadows fell away, along with some of his intensity; suddenly he was a man and not the fearsome leader of the Dragon's Den. He released Lucy's keys. "Thank you for bringing him back here."

Lucy fought off the chills on her skin. "You're welcome."

Zeref took a step back, straightened the cuffs of his white dress shirt. Putting himself back in order seemed to help him don his tough exterior once more. "You better not be lying to me, Lucy. About Happy or about this deal. You'll regret it if you are."

"A Heartfilia's word is worth something."

Zeref screwed up his face, thinking something awful. "Yes."

Lucy felt like she was making a deal with the devil holding out her hand. Zeref clasped it firmly, skin warm and calloused, and squeezed hard enough that it hurt. She kept her face blank. "Shower? And my clothes out of the Impala. And my gun."

"No guns," Zeref said firmly, drawing the line. "But we'll get you set up."

Lucy let her shoulders drop and eased her grip, knowing she'd pushed it too far. "Fine."

Zeref nodded. "The deal's the deal."

"The deal's the deal," she repeated. A little more relaxed, she finally looked around the room. It was a huge cavernous factory, just as she thought, that rank both of paper and ink but also of beer and hops. She found the source of the latter, two huge metal vats taking up floor space on the north side of the room. "Is this a distillery or a printing factory?"

"No questions."

"But—"

"Unless you're going to answer why you don't want to go back to daddy, no fucking questions. Respect me and I'll respect you." Zeref started away. Lucy stared at his back, unsure what she should do. He said over his shoulder, "This way."

 _Right._ She hurried after, her shoes and Zeref's both vying for loudest footfall. Grey, grey, grey—the floor the walls, the ceiling, all illuminated with lights hanging on chains so high above. A table sat beside one of the distilling vats, cards dropped face-down on its surface. Wads of green cash was intermixed, somehow looking criminal. A woman with long silver hair stepped out on a shipping platform in a silver robe.

"Zeref, baby—"

"Wait for me, Angel," he said absently.

The woman watched Lucy so raptly as they crossed the room that her skin crawled. Not really expecting an answer, Lucy asked, "Who's that?"

"Mind your own business," Zeref said shortly.

Lucy hurried through a tall and wide door Zeref held open. Beyond was a long, poorly lit hallway littered with doors. At its end was a bright EXIT sign lit up red. Lucy eyed it and pretended she didn't. Zeref caught her looking.

"You won't get out that way; there's an alarm and someone posted there always."

"I wasn't thinking about escaping," Lucy said.

Zeref didn't pretend to believe her. "Don't fuck up, Lucy."

 _You're out of your league,_ Lucy belittled herself. _What were you thinking, making this deal_? But this way she had her keys. She had a chance. _You should have left Natsu on the road._ She wasn't cold enough for that. Thinking of her kidnapper, she asked, "Wendy, she's a healer?"

"What did I just say about questions?" Zeref asked.

Lucy popped out her lip, dying with curiosity but exercising restraint.

Zeref stopped at an unmarked door and beat on its face loudly.

"Yes?" came a familiar voice.

Zeref said, "Get out here, Carla."

The door opened and Carla appeared wearing a nightdress that was mostly sheer. She looked annoyed. "What is it—" She trailed off seeing Lucy.

"Be a doll and take our guest to the showers, then get her something to eat and find her a bed. I'll send one of the others over to help watch her, but she assures me her complete cooperation," Zeref said.

Though Carla eyed Lucy skeptically, she didn't question Zeref. She reached for a nightstand beside the door and grabbed a small Barretta, then stepped out and closed her bedroom door. "This way."

"She still has her celestial keys, Carla," Zeref added before they could get too far away. "Keep your eye on her."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Zeref watched Lucy Heartfilia retreat until she ducked into the communal shower and he couldn't see her anymore. Then he turned on his heel and headed back the way he came, going through the main distillery (Angel had disappeared, he hoped she was in his room and hadn't left completely, she was temperamental sometimes) to the large staff room where a TV took up the majority of the back corner. Mickey Mouse Club was just getting started, the theme catchy and infectious as many voices banded together to sing _'M-O-U-S-E, Mickey Mouse!'_

On the Carl Malmsten sofa, gifted to the Den by Jellal when they first opened this place, Sting and Erik sat, focus fixed half on the tube, half on the guns they assembled in their lap. The cold _click, click_ of all the pieces sliding into place was comforting.

The door opened and Juvia came in, barely dressed in a light blue babydoll and toting a Milky Way. She barely looked at Zeref, all of her attention on Sting. Crossing the room, she climbed up onto the couch next to him and leaned in. Sting accepted the piece of chocolate she slipped between his lips.

"Who has the front right now?" Zeref asked.

"Jellal loaned us Laxus and Gajeel for a few," Sting replied around the chocolate.

"Well isn't that fucking generous?" Zeref snapped, irritated all over again. They didn't _need_ handouts. Except, they sort of did.

Sting didn't reply, knowing a trap when he saw one.

"Get out there as soon as you can, tell them to fuck off," Zeref ordered. He didn't wait for a response, more interested in what his renegade brother had to say. ' _M-O-U-S-E_!' followed him into the small bathroom off the old staff room. It was crowded inside the fluorescently lit nook with he, Wendy and Natsu, though the latter was crunched up in a bathtub that was _way_ too small, and Wendy didn't take up much space at all.

Wendy looked up from her perch, a strained look on her face. Zeref's heart leapt into his throat. "Is he okay?"

"Yes," Wendy said quickly.

Zeref realized _he_ was the cause of her distress, not his brother's state. He didn't apologize for making her uncomfortable, nor did he wipe the annoyed look from his face. "Wake him."

"Zeref, he needs time, he lost a lot of blood—"

Yeah, he could see that, it was everywhere, all over the black and white tiled floor, smeared all in the pale green tub, and all over Wendy, too. She was covered in it up to her elbows from her efforts to get Natsu's pants off. She'd ended up cutting the fabric away with a knife, the remains sitting in the sink, staining that as well. Seeing all the red made Zeref's stomach churn, not because he was squeamish with blood, he'd seen his fair share of it, but because it was Natsu's. He was the only real family he had left, thinking of him dying in a stolen car after being shot by Jude Heartfilia's daughter made him burn with the kind of rage that was debilitating and surprising.

Wendy was shrinking away again.

 _Calm._

He breathed deeply. "Wake him."

Wendy didn't argue this time as she used her magic to call Natsu out of unconsciousness. His breathing changed first, and then his fingers twitched, and his eyes behind his bruised eyelids. Zeref pushed Wendy out of the way so he was the first thing his brother saw.

Natsu groaned and peeled his eyelids open, irises black like Zeref's own, like their father's, and their father's father. "Zeref…"

Gladness and rage tangled together. Zeref acted before he knew he'd made the decision to, balling his fist and swinging. It was an unfair blow, one that made contact so solidly with his jaw that Natsu's eyes tried to roll into the back of his head again.

"Zeref, you can't—he's not well," Wendy squeaked.

"Get out, Wendy," Zeref ordered. His knuckles ached.

She hesitated, on the verge of arguing. Good sense took her and she left. Mickey Mouse's voice snuck through the open door for a brief moment, then the door closed and it was gone again. Zeref grabbed Natsu by the collar and hauled him up so he was less slumped and more vertical and shook him roughly. "Stay awake."

Natsu blinked and blinked. When he caught his breath, he found his outrage. "What the hell?"

"Yeah, _what the hell_?" Zeref spat back. "Why don't you _listen_?"

"Zeref—"

"You let yourself get shot and dragged back here by Heartfilia's daughter, remember that?"

Vaguely, the weaving car, the dizziness that lingered still.

"I thought I told you to let it be? I thought I taught you to be smarter than that?"

 _Be smart._ Natsu swallowed; his mouth was dry. "Is she here? Lucy?"

"Yeah, she's here, no thanks to you."

"Then everything is okay."

"Far from it. She came in here with a list of demands a mile long and an attitude to go with it. Doesn't want to be sold back to her father, wants a bath, wants food, wants to keep her keys and be treated _like a lady_. She thinks she's got one up on us."

"Princess," Natsu muttered. "Bet she was shocked."

"No," Zeref said, "Because I gave her what she wanted."

Some of the glaze cleared out of Natsu's eyes. "Why would you do that?"

Zeref wanted to hit him again; he refrained, somehow. "She says she can help us get Happy."

"She's lying. She knows almost nothing," Natsu said. "She told me about one warehouse on Amber Drive where Heartfilia might be keeping him and that's all."

Zeref said, "You jump to conclusions too quick. Could be, she has useful information she doesn't even _know_ is useful."

Natsu breathed a frustrated sigh from his nose.

"I'll send Rogue and Wendy to check out Amber Drive." Though it left them seriously undermanned.

"What about the ransom?"

Zeref studied Natsu for a long time. Finally, he said, "When she's proven herself useful and we have Happy back, we'll continue as planned, but for now, treat her like she's a guest here."

"Zeref—"

He tightened his hold on Natsu's collar and dragged him in so they were nose-to-nose. "I'm serious. Ever heard of catching more flies with honey than vinegar? Smile when you see her, talk to her, give her what she wants. Girls like Lucy like that kind of thing."

"What about when she double-crosses us?" Natsu asked.

"She won't get the chance, she's gonna have round-the-clock supervision."

"Who's watching her now?"

Zeref loosed his hold on Natsu's collar so he could slap his brother's cheek. "Glad you asked. Get up, get clean. You have the first watch until Rogue and Wendy get back."

"Me?"

"You."

"Get Wendy to do it, Rogue and I will head over to Amber Drive—"

The urge to hit him was back again. Zeref resigned himself to leaving nail crescents in the palm of his hand. "You're not well enough for that."

"I'm fine."

Zeref grabbed Natsu's collar again and stood abruptly, hauling his brother out of the tub. Natsu would have tripped over the lip and gone down there, but Zeref held him steady just long enough to push him toward the door. Natsu went without much of a fight beyond scrabbling hands and curses. He hit the barrier with a thud and then just leaned there, dazed and dizzy.

"Not well enough," Zeref concluded. "Get cleaned up. I'll get you some clothes. And don't think about fucking off again, I'll know it if you do," he threatened. He needn't bother, it looked like the room was spinning so badly for Natsu that he was fighting not to be sick.

"Understand?"

A grunt of resignation was all Zeref got. Satisfied, he pulled Natsu away from the door and pushed him toward the tub. Natsu stood there for a moment, then gathered some energy and started to get undressed. It was a slow and painful looking process, one that required a great amount of concentration.

"Lucy thinks she has the upper hand, and maybe, for now, that's partially true, but we're going to milk her for all she's got and we're going to turn this thing around," Zeref said. "I need you in this a hundred and ten percent, though, Natsu, doing what I tell you to, alright?"

"If I didn't go after her, we never would have found her." Natsu shucked off his suspenders and yanked his shirt over his head. He threw it on the floor then started on his pants.

Zeref couldn't rightly deny him. "We got lucky tonight. Lucky doesn't care who she sleeps with, though. I'd rather not count on her."

He left Natsu to think that over.


	10. Chapter 10

"Your performance is what I would call _unacceptable_ , Fulmen. _Embarrassing._ "

 _Fullbuster,_ Gray thought but didn't say, sure that if he did, he'd lose his job right there. Instead, he focused on the popped vein on Lucy's father's temple, on the sweat on the man's brow. On not thinking about Jude holding Lucy's waist too tight, kissing her in a way that fathers were never supposed to kiss their daughters. Or on Lucy's resigned confession. ' _He misses her._ ' As if that made it _okay._

Jude smacked his hand on Gray's cluttered desk, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Or do you not agree?"

"Yes, Sir, it is embarrassing."

"Right out of our _lot_ that car was taken."

"Yes."

"Someone is mocking us."

"Yes."

 _"_ You're going to correct this or you'll find yourself without a badge."

Gray's mouth went dry. Part of him thought _good,_ because he didn't want to work for a man like Jude Heartfilia, part of him thought _hell, no,_ because Jude _wasn't_ the entire police force. There were good men that worked there and they did good work. Being a constable was the only thing he'd ever wanted. He'd given up a lot to be there. Friends, family, free time. _All so you can sit at your desk and get screamed at by your police chief, who, by the way, can't get your name right. Way to go._ He pushed the depreciative voice aside. "I'll find the car, Sir. And whoever took it."

"It was the Den, obviously," Jude spat. "Maybe we should just take that badge away right now and give it to someone that could actually put it to good use and find my daughter when I ask."

Gray chewed his cheek, annoyance and pride fighting with good sense. "I'll find the car and Miss Heartfilia, Sir."

"See that you do." A look befell him. "This doesn't have to go badly for you, Fulmen. If you do a good job, I'll see that you're appropriately compensated. There could be a promotion in your future. I understand you want to be Chief Inspector one day?"

"Yes, Sir," Gray said after a moment.

"I could make recommendations. It could be a goal you achieve rather quickly if you do phenomenal work."

Gray's mouth went drier still. "Yes, Sir."

Jude clapped Gray on the shoulder. "There's the spark of desire that will help you solve this case. Pull every trick you know to figure out where that car went. I have a hunch that at the end of that trail, you'll find Lucy."

"Yes, Sir," Gray replied.

Jude left him there with that to turn over in his mind. His proposal was tempting. So tempting, in fact, that he was churning over the list of every single criminal he'd built up even a _mild_ rapport with, thinking maybe they had some information that he could use. The one he thought would pan out the best was Meredy, a nightwalker that seemed to know the scoop on just about everyone.

 _What if it was Lucy that took the Tudor_? He didn't think she knew how to hotwire a car. He needed to be sure, though. Glancing around the mostly-empty room and seeing no eyes were on him, he picked up his phone and spun the cottage's number in.

It rang and rang and rang.

He hung up and tried again, getting the same results. A bad feeling settled in his stomach. He tried one more time to be sure. _She's not there,_ he thought. _Maybe she got delayed, maybe she's still in Magnolia._ But no. Lucy was smart and resourceful, she would have found a way to get out of town quickly, likely on the last train. Or she hitchhiked. Which held its own dangers.

 _You should have taken her._

"Damn," he cursed and put the phone back in its cradle. _Just… drive out there and check._ Standing, he grabbed his coat and went for the pot of tar-black coffee, thinking he was going to need it. The door from reception opened and Erza popped her head of scarlet hair in, though what she was doing there, he didn't know. She usually had the day shift while Levy took nights after Mirajane took off.

"Gray," she said, casting her voice lowly though the other two constables in the room could hear every word she said.

Gray poured himself a huge cup of bitter-smelling liquid. _Ignore her, she's just going to cause you problems._ He had a problem ignoring Erza, though, a big fucking problem that started with her zeal and ended with that smile. "Yeah?"

She waved him close. "We need to talk."

He looked up and saw that mischievous and determined look in her eye, the one she got before she donned that fucking police uniform and pretended to be something she wasn't. _Where the hell did she even get that from,_ he wondered. His mind dragged up an image of her beating Freed Justine for his spare. Gray believed her capable. "Got work to do, Erza, can't chat."

"It's important," she said. "Just come here."

He sighed quietly, knowing it wasn't any use arguing. He had to go out to reception anyway and get a key for a spare cruiser. There was no way Erza was going to let him slip by. His coffee slopped toward the brim of his cup as he edged between empty desks. Erza stepped back, holding the door for him, ushering him into the long, rectangular room beyond. Gray glanced at the reception desk; Levy was sitting there, hair done up high, orange dress belling out around her chair. She had a stack of paper work in front of her—she was the best at organizing the constabulary's records and she had the most time to do it after the sun went down.

Gray set his coffee on the counter, pulling up short before Erza could haul him away. "Can I have a set of keys, Levy? Whatever cruisers are left, doesn't matter."

"Sure." Levy dug through a metal drawer and came out with a set of keys for an old Tudor, one that smelled perpetually like sour grapes. It used to be the Drunk and Disorderly car. Gray almost complained. Levy, seeing it in his face, said, "That's all we have, the rest are out looking for the Chief's daughter."

Of course.

"It'll do, thanks."

"Okay, before you go, this way." Erza grabbed his arm and pulled him through the building toward the back before he could chat with Levy any longer, forcing him to leave his coffee where it was.

"I'll sign it out for you," Levy called.

"Thanks," Gray replied.

Erza tugged him past the blinded windows toward the narrow hallway where the washrooms were. On their way, they passed by a man in cuffs with a spider tattoo on his neck. Gray recognized Orga Nanagear, a man that was more than just a petty thief, though they'd never been able to get him on anything.

"Slip up, Orga?"

"Wrongfully incarcerated," he said.

"Doubtful," Gray replied.

"Mind yourself, now. I'll be out of here soon enough, Fullbuster," Orga said.

The unfortunate thing was, Gray was worried he was right. He glanced back at small Levy, adjusting her glasses and flipping through a stack of pages a mile thick.

"She's fine," Erza replied confidently. "Orga knows what happens when he tries to threaten us."

There was a .45 beneath the reception desk. The knowledge didn't ease Gray as much as he would have liked.

"Come on." Erza pulled him harder toward the washrooms. Gray stumbled after her, surprised by her forwardness. The surprise didn't lessen as she ducked around the corner and tugged him into the ladies' room and closed the door.

It was better kept than the men's, but that wasn't saying much. The floors were cracked and lusterless, the sinks yellowed with calcium, and the mirrors were decorated with black permanent marker. Things like phone numbers and tidbits about the officers took up the majority of the space. Gray was fairly certain that most of it wasn't true, considering a stick man taking it from behind with his name scrawled overtop seemed to be the centerpiece. He scowled at it.

"Artistic, isn't it?" Erza asked. "Meredy left that behind the last time she was in."

"Did she?" He wanted to be angrier but there were other things on his mind. "What the hell are we doing in here, Erza?"

"We needed some privacy." She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms beneath her breasts, unintentionally pushing them high.

Gray's ears roared. "What?"

She rolled her eyes and explained, "I was watching the front desk while Levy went pee and a call came in. Your Tudor was found at a motel outside of Rosewood."

The world narrowed. "Rosewood?"

"Yeah. I thought you'd want to know before the Chief found out, that way you could get your car back and he wouldn't reprimand you—think of it as payback for covering for me the other day."

Gray's mind was whirling. His car found outside of Rosewood didn't seem like a coincidence. "He already knows it was taken, I had to file a report."

"Damn. Was he mad?"

Absolutely. He couldn't think about that, though, he was wondering if Lucy was in the motel with her kidnappers, forced to do other horrible things or if she was dead or—

The list went on.

Gray moved for the door. "Thanks, Erza."

"Wait." She grabbed his arm, pulling him up short. "There's more."

He hardly wanted to ask, "What?"

"I did some digging. There was another car taken from the parking lot, a '51 Chevy Impala. Whoever took your car stole another, too."

 _That_ complicated things. They were on the move. "Damnit. We'll never find them." Following a trail of stolen cars was arduous work.

Erza smiled. "You want to hear the last bit?"

"There's more?"

"Of course, because I'm a good detective," she proclaimed.

He couldn't deny her. "Let's have it."

"I was browsing over Levy's reports tonight because I was bored. A transport driver said he almost hit a weaving car. Can you guess the make and model?"

"A '51 Chevy Impala?"

Her smile was beatific. "And," she smacked his arm, "It was heading back toward Magnolia. Your thief is in town, I'd bet."

He could kiss her. He refrained. "Thanks."

"That's all?" Erza squawked when he tugged out of her grasp and dashed for the door.

He paused, hand on the door. "What else is there?"

"No, 'You can ride shot-gun, Erza.' Or 'You're the best detective I've ever known, I'm going to make a recommendation for you every chance I get until the Chief realizes you're better than half the men on this force and makes you a constable.'"

He scrubbed his face. "I can't, Erza. You know that."

Her good cheer disappeared. "You don't want to."

"Chief still calls me Fulmen, my recommendation isn't going to be worth shit."

She waved him off. "For now. As soon as you find Lucy, he'll be in your debt and _ask_ for your recommendations. Naming me for constable will be unorthodox, but after you bring back Lucy, I don't think he'll laugh in your face."

And everything just got a whole lot more complicated. "There are ten other officers on the case, who's to say I'll find her?"

"You will because you're the best, next to me of course," Erza praised.

Gray looked at her longingly. "Erza..."

"Unless you're about to tell me, 'Sure thing, pussycat, get your uniform and get in the car,' I don't want to hear it."

"You're going to get me fired."

Taking that as the yes it wasn't, she hurried into the middle stall and stood on the toilet, teetering in her high black heels.

Gray, afraid she was going to fall in, went to her and steadied her with hands on her waist. She was warm beneath the fabric of her black and gold dress. "What the hell are you doing?"

Erza reached, reached, and pushed aside one of the ceiling tiles. "Getting my uniform."

"Oh, _no._ " He picked her up shamelessly and deposited her back on the ground again; she squirmed all the way down, unhappy.

"Gray, you _said_ —"

"I didn't say _anything_ ," he hissed. "And what the hell are you doing, hiding a uniform in the girls' washroom?"

"Where else am I supposed to put it?"

"You shouldn't even have it!"

"This is the only thing I've ever wanted to do, Gray, are you going to deny me?" She grabbed his uniform with fingers that had, weeks ago, been painted red. Erza never cared much about maintaining that kind of thing, though, so the polish was scratched off. "Please, please, please."

How could he say no when she looked at him so pleadingly, fluttering those large dark lashes? _She knows it, too._ Of course she did. "No uniform."

"But—"

"You're not a cop, Erza. If you're coming, you're riding shotgun and that's it."

"Gray—"

"Say yes, or you can forget your recommendations." _Are you really going to go through with it?_ No, he couldn't do that to Lucy, but he needed to know who took his car, where they went and if they had Lucy with them. There was no denying that Erza was good at getting answers; having her there with her critical mind would make things go smoothly. _And when she asks why you're not bringing Lucy back to her father?_ No clear route presented itself to him. _Figure it out later._

Erza buckled like he knew she would, releasing his shirt and stepping back so he could leave the washroom with her in tow. Thankfully, no one was there to give them scandalous looks. On the way by, he grabbed his cold coffee off the reception desk, said good night to Levy after telling her he was driving Miss Scarlet home before doing some groundwork. Levy told him to be careful and said goodnight. Gray left, feeling like a criminal himself, letting Erza tag along in her prim dress and fancy shoes, preparing for, as they say, the rough work.

* * *

Most of Natsu's shower was spent leaning against the tiled wall getting his bearings. The water ran red, then pink, then clear. Eventually, he scrubbed his body with the cheap bar soap Wendy slipped into her purse the last time they were at the drugstore, then his hair. By the time he'd rinsed, some of his disorientation had faded and he was able to think. Lucy Heartfilia was here. She'd brought him back like he asked. She had a ton of demands and an attitude to go with them, and Zeref wanted him to go and watch her again.

He couldn't tell if he was seriously pissed or a little eager. Maybe both. He wanted to know her motivations, if she did what she did because she was actually an alright person, or if she planned on somehow letting her father know where they were and destroying them. _Then why wouldn't she call the cops on the way here?_ Hell, maybe she did. Maybe Heartfilia's finest was about to burst open the door and he'd be hauled off in his birthday suit.

Perfect.

The door opened. Natsu half expected to see the blue of the Magnolia Police Department suits but it was the grey of Zeref's slacks and the white of his plain, loose dress shirt. From the other room, Mickey Mouse Club had ended and the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show began. Bullwinkle's voice bled from the speakers, slow and dopy and totally loveable. Relaxing. Natsu released a breath he didn't know he was holding; the tension went out of his body. Peering through the translucent curtain, he asked, "Do you think the cops are going to show up here?"

Zeref grabbed a towel from the towel rack and shoved Natsu's clothes in its place. "Lucy claims she didn't call them. I think she was telling the truth. She also claims she doesn't want to go back to her father."

Natsu turned off the taps and reached for the towel around the curtain. "I don't get it. Why wouldn't she want to go back home?"

"Sick of all the time they spend at Chateau Marmont?" Zeref asked facetiously.

"Yeah," Natsu agreed. "Maybe. I don't think I'd get sick of it, all those maids in those little black and white dresses, smiling, bringing you whatever the hell you want whenever you want—"

"Sick of the Den, Natsu?" It came out casually, but Natsu knew it was a loaded question.

"Sick of running."

Zeref snorted a breath. "That's what you get when your last meal was taken from Councillor Crawford's pocket."

"Worth it," Natsu said, thinking of that damn golden gnome that _still_ sat out front, taunting him. He'd get it. Maybe when Happy came back, they could go together. This time, there wouldn't be any _Magnolia Police Department_ cars, there wouldn't be any bullets gone astray. They would get the gnome hat, maybe put a bullet in Crawford's guts for being such a bastard, and then they'd tear up the police department, too, really pay them back for all the crap they'd caused.

Zeref brought him back to reality. "When you're done in here, stop by the kitchen. Kinana's got Lucy a sandwich. Bring it to her."

Natsu bristled. "What—"

Zeref cut in. "You told me I could count on you."

He didn't recall saying exactly that; Zeref knew him well, though. He'd do anything for his family. "You can."

"Good. Sting and Erik are watching the front and back, Rogue and Wendy are out. It's a skeleton crew, me, you, Carla. Keep a close eye on our guest, she still has her gate keys, meaning she can cause trouble. I don't want another scene like last time."

Natsu wrapped the towel around his waist and got out of the tub. There was blood everywhere; it was hard to find a place to stand that wasn't soaked. "She won't get out of my sight."

Zeref nodded. "Carla's got her in Gajeel's old room." Before he found better employment. It was a sore spot, but relations with Jellal was better for it, no one could deny. "Clean this up quick before you go? Looks like a scene from _House of Wax_ in here _._ "

"Sure," Natsu agreed. His head had even stopped spinning enough to make him somewhat useful.

Zeref said, "I'm glad you're home." The police and Lucy didn't know it, but they were, too. Zeref would have found a way to kill every last one of them if it turned out any other way. "I'm going to go see if Angel's still here. She looked kind of pissed when I pulled Lucy through. If Lucy starts making trouble, find me."

"She won't." Not if he had anything to say about it.

Zeref left again. Natsu cleaned as much as he could be bothered with a soggy piece of toilet paper, swiping up the blood and flushing it. He washed his hands then got dressed as quickly as possible in a pair of rolled-cuffed Levi's and a snug navy blue T-shirt with a red rib neckband. Zeref didn't bring socks so he went barefoot. He didn't bother brushing his hair with anything other than his fingers, slicking it back and out of the way. Finished at last, he went for his ruined pants, picking them up and folding them. Something crinkled inside, catching his attention. Confused, Natsu rooted through the pocket and came out with a mitt-full of blood-dotted envelopes. _Oh,_ he remembered. _Lucy's letters._

He almost threw them out just because. She was there, she was capable of talking, but Zeref chirped in his ear. ' _Could be, she has useful information she doesn't even_ _know_ _is useful._ '

Could be.

He transferred them to his fresh jeans, figuring when he was bored of watching Miss Princess he'd do some light reading.

Coming out of the bathroom was like stepping into winter. It was cold in the staff room, and far less humid. Juvia sat on the couch, curled up in the corner with her feet tucked beneath her body. Her eyes were on the TV, watching Bullwinkle try to sneak into a movie theater. She snorted when he stepped out of the elevator with the devil's pitchfork poking him in the ass. Normally, Natsu would have slowed to watch but there were things to do.

Juvia rolled her head on her neck. She chewed, a mostly eaten Milky Way in her hand. "Looking better."

"Thanks." Natsu went for the garbage and dumped his soiled clothes in.

Juvia pushed her sapphire hair over to one shoulder and sat up straighter. "I grabbed some Tommy ammo for you from the lot Jellal sold us."

She was always good like that. "Thanks, Juvia."

"Do you think we'll have to run again?"

"No," Natsu said firmly.

"I'm worried about Sting."

"You're always worried about him," Natsu replied. "He's fine."

"He isn't careful enough," she muttered.

Maybe not. Natsu didn't address _that_ , feeling responsible for her turmoil. "Everything's going to be fine. We're going to get Happy back and everything will be like it was."

"Will it?" Juvia asked in that eerie way she had. "I feel like we're crossing a line, Natsu, and we're not going to be able to go back. Everything will be different."

The weight of what he'd done tried to settle down on his shoulders; he took the chief of police's daughter; he was doing everything in his power to get his friend back. The Dragon's Den was on the map before, but now they were going to be actively sought. _It'll be fine_. There wasn't any going back now.

Credit music chasing him, he left the room without reply. Ignoring it wasn't going to make it go away, but dwelling on it wasn't going to make it better, either.

The distillery was empty, as expected. Natsu swung through a door beside the staff room that led to the kitchen. Wide and mostly covered by metal, it looked clinical and cold like the rest of the building. Kinana had her back to him, reaching into a bright red fridge. She heard the door close and spun, a scared look on her face. She saw it was just Natsu and relaxed.

"Expecting someone else?" Natsu asked.

"Just nervous," Kinana replied. "I was almost arrested yesterday, but Erik—he shot the police officer." She looked slightly ill saying it.

Natsu didn't know what to say to _that_ either. "Zeref said you had a sandwich for Lucy."

Kinana swiped her hands over her pink dress, gathering herself together, and went back into the fridge. She came back out with two ham sandwiches and a beer. "One of those is for you. And the beer," she said, knowing Wendy's healings usually left him famished.

Natsu gave her his best toothy grin. "You're a peach."

She flushed. "You're welcome."

Juggling the plates, he went in search of Gajeel's old room.

* * *

The door was open upon his arrival. Natsu entered without announcing himself and was rewarded for his stealth by Lucy's startled intake of breath. He found her without issue, she was sitting on Gajeel's plain cot, blankets pulled up over her legs to hide them. Natsu wished she'd hide her chest, too. She was well on display in a black tank-style nightdress that was more than a little sheer in the middle. His eyes wanted to linger. Self-control came to him last-minute. Or maybe it was because Lucy yanked the blankets up all on her own, blocking his view.

"Finally," Carla stood and stretched. "I thought Zeref forgot to send someone. I'm beat. She's showered, Rogue brought in her bags. He checked through them before giving them up, too."

 _Like you should have,_ Natsu scolded himself. He'd been distracted, though.

Carla said, "She's clean. No knives, no guns. Just those keys. Now, if you don't mind, a lady needs her beauty sleep."

Natsu considered asking her to stay. His pride wouldn't allow for it. He wouldn't be stumped by Lucy Heartfilia anymore. "Night."

Carla shuffled out the door, closing it in her wake. Alone, the silence turned prolonged. Natsu cleared his throat and held out Lucy's sandwich.

"Not drugged, is it?" Lucy asked.

"Kinana wouldn't do something like that."

"What about you?"

"We're supposed to have some kind of alliance, aren't we?" he prodded. "Or did that change?" Zeref was in his head telling him to be nice to her. In what was supposed to be a reassuring manner, he said, "It's fine. But, if you want, I'll have a bite out of it first."

Lucy leaned forward and took the offered plate. "That's fine, thank you."

Natsu went to the armchair across from the bed and dropped into its lumpy cushions. It felt good to sit. Even better to crack open his beer and take a huge swig. It was the stuff they made there at the Dreg House, potent and dark.

"How is your leg?" Lucy asked before she took a bite of her sandwich.

"Fine," Natsu replied. "…Thanks for bringing me back." The gratitude came out choppily. He didn't _want_ to thank her, but he did owe her that. "Most would have kicked me out and drove away."

"I thought about it," Lucy replied. "But it turns out, I'm not a horrible person."

That was still up for debate. "Zeref says you're going to help us find Happy."

"That's our deal, yes." She dropped her eyes to her sandwich as she said it.

Natsu leaned forward. "Lucy." He waited until she was looking at him with those Bambi eyes. "If I know you're lying, Zeref knows, too."

Very steadily, she said, "I want to help you find your friend."

 _Be smart, be smart, be smart._ No matter how many times he told himself that, looking at her, blanket sliding down, cheek stuffed full, eyes soft, he felt fucking dumb. "Thank you." This time, it was easier to say. "Zeref thinks we'll have it made in the shade with your help."

Lucy chewed and swallowed. "I hope Happy is okay."

"Me, too."

It was obvious Lucy was waiting for the threat to her life to come. Natsu busied himself with his sandwich instead, thinking about everything he knew to be true about people in her position. Privileged cowards. Liars. Thieves with the law on their side.

"Were you scared?"

Lucy had the last bit of her sandwich stuffed in her mouth. She had to mumble, "Hm?"

"Coming to the Dreg House, were you scared?"

"Yes," she said when she could.

"Why did you do it?"

"I don't know. You asked me to."

He didn't want to like her but he felt a tiny pull in that direction. "You're braver than the average duck."

"Or dumber," Lucy muttered.

"If you're good to us, we'll be good to you," Natsu said. There was some guilt that came with the lie, he kept thinking of Zeref saying, ' _we're going to milk her for all she's got and we're going to turn this thing around_.'

 _Don't feel bad. She doesn't really want to be here; she just feels like she doesn't have any other choice._ He drank most of his beer in one go and wanted more but knew that Zeref would never allow for it, not being on high-alert like they were.

"How did you and your brother end up being in charge of one of the most dangerous gangs in Fiore?" Lucy asked.

Natsu recalled being small, hungry, cold, looking up as Zeref considered all of the ways a suddenly orphaned fifteen-year-old could support his eight-year-old brother. Some choices were less tasteful than others. Eventually, he decided that he'd rather steal than fuck, and if he was going to steal, he had to be good because being bad meant jail time. Being good also meant being prepared because there were plenty of petty thieves on Magnolia's streets that weren't happy about their profits being cut into. Over time, after countless beatings and many altercations, a very simplistic law made itself known: there was safety in numbers. Thus, the Den was born. It was full of renegades, thieves, killers, drug addicts and crazies and everything in between. They were all loyal in their own way, within their own capacity. Did he trust them explicitly? Fuck, no, the only people he trusted like that was Zeref and Happy. Maybe Wendy. But it was close.

"Natsu?"

A girl like Lucy wouldn't understand the long hard scrabble to the top. "Are you done with your plate?"

"Yes."

Natsu stood and took it from her just for something to do.

Lucy said, "You weren't always this way, were you? You must have a family."

He didn't want to think about the things life kept away from him. "The Den is my family."

"What about your parents?"

"Dead."

Her eyes got soft. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It was a long time ago." So long now, he forgot the details except the blood on his mother's dress, the blood on his father's hands. And then on Zeref's.

"There had to be other ways for you and your brother to get by other than criminality—"

"A girl like you wouldn't understand, Lucy. Leave it."

She quieted.

In a gentler voice, Natsu said, "You should get some sleep."

"You can't expect me to sleep like this, here?" Lucy said.

His responding glare was all the answer she needed. Lucy popped out her bottom lip and pulled the thin blankets closer to her body.

"It's cold in here."

He almost told her too bad. Scratching that, he almost offered her something to make her absurdly uncomfortable _just because_. _'Be nice to her,_ ' Zeref said in his mind. He sighed and called flame to his hand. Lucy eyed the magic warily; Natsu felt her own pushing against her skin. She was on the brink of calling a spirit. The feeling faded when she saw he wasn't planning on attacking. The room started to get warmer.

"Thank you," she said.

He wished she'd stop doing that, being so heartfelt and ingénue. "You're welcome." And he wished he'd stop doing that, too. It was fucking annoying.

Lucy laid down on the lumpy pillow and stared at him shamelessly, making Natsu feel uncomfortable. He met her eyes and was only able to look away when she let her eyes flutter closed, those damned dark lashes brushing over her full cheek.

It didn't take long to discover another problem: now that she wasn't looking at him, he could look at the soft swell and dip of her body with only himself as juror. The white sheet she covered herself with wasn't thick enough to hide much of anything.

He stood and paced the small room, thinking of his next course of action to keep himself busy. If Amber Drive fell through, like he suspected it _would_ , he'd do some digging. Heartfilia had more warehouses, he was sure of it. He just needed to figure out _where_.

 _If Lucy doesn't know, who will?_ It seemed likely that Heartfilia would have the place guarded. And… rich men didn't stay rich because they were immoderate. Chances were, if his warehouses were being watched, they were being watched by his own men. He would be spending the city's money for his own purposes.

"Are you sure you don't know why he's taking people from the streets?" Natsu asked. There was no answer. He turned, half expecting to see an empty bed, but Lucy was still there. He listened. She breathed steadily, in and out, in and out. She was asleep. her head was pillowed on her arm, the one that was all torn up and badly scabbed. _Maybe you can get Wendy to look at it._ That would certainly be stepping into Zeref's realms of 'nice'. _And maybe while you're at it, you can ask why she cut herself open._ It hadn't been like that when he pulled her from her bed that first night. Her skin had been perfect then, smooth and uninterrupted.

Realizing he was staring again, Natsu decided to give himself something else to think about and pulled a letter at random from his pocket. He took it to his chair.

Opening it, he figured he'd gotten something good when he read _Mom_ at the top of the page. Given that the pages were hidden at the top of her closet, what lay within them must have been terrible. His reasoning was simple: beauty was never tucked away, only ugliness and deformity.

Family secrets were always the darkest.


	11. Chapter 11

_Mom,_

 _I miss you._

 _Since you've been gone, I've started to train a lot with Loke—I guess to keep myself busy. Two days ago, I even managed to call two spirits at once. To celebrate, Loke took me to the celestial realm. I had a lot of fun there. We ate a_ ridiculous _amount of dessert and met a bunch of spirits I didn't even know existed. Loke said you used to spend time there, too. After that, I thought I could feel you there in a way. Maybe that's silly._

 _Or maybe not._

 _My day got kinda crappy after we got back, though. In usual Dad fashion, he was really mad Loke and I just disappeared. Like…_ really _mad. He threatened to take my keys away. I begged him not to. He listened eventually, after I told him they reminded me of you. He locked himself in his office after and didn't talk to me for the rest of the night or most of the next day. When he came out, he hugged me without saying much, and then it was like the argument didn't happen. I don't remember him being so crazy before. Loke says its because Dad's under a lot of stress and he misses you, too._

 _I've asked to go back to the celestial realm but Loke won't take me. He doesn't want Dad to take my keys away._

 _I wish you would come home._

 _Love,_

 _Lucy._

The first letter left a lot to be desired. There was some obvious angst but no _grit._ Natsu studied the neatly trimmed words, seeing how Lucy's D around Dad was embellished with little loops and whirls that were so very… her. Unnecessarily flamboyant. Disgusted, he set the letter aside and finished the dregs in his beer. It had gone warm and tasted bitter. He glanced at Lucy from beneath his lashes as he tipped his head back, getting every last drop. She was still asleep, one hand now tossed over her head. In rest, she somehow managed to look worried.

Natsu dropped his empty beer bottle to the table and fished out another letter. This one had been crisp and white before he'd gotten his hands on it, now it was stained red and sticky, totally saturated with blood in some places, dotted in others. He opened the letter as carefully as he could manage and still tore it through the middle. Most of it was readable.

This, too, was addressed, _Mom_.

 _Why did she never send them_? Natsu dug through his memory, pulling up every tidbit of information he knew about the Heartfilia's. It occurred to him that Layla Heartfilia was dead, and had been for some time. He chewed over that. _Lucy's been writing letters to her dead mother_? That was a little bit morbid. Probably unhealthy, too. Just his cup of tea.

He dug in.

 _Mom,_

 _I had an accident today when I was training with Loke. I was really pushing it, I guess, trying to call three spirits at once, though Loke told me not to. I did so well calling him and Virgo, though, I thought I could try Aquarius, too. I lost control of the spell and passed out, making Loke and Virgo go home._

 _It was a mess. Dad flipped. He'd been watching from his office. When I woke up, he put this lacrima in my arm. He called it a '_ magical governor _.' Really, it's just a magic sucker. It's supposed to give me my magic in controlled quantities so I can't hurt myself, but I haven't been able to call Loke. Dad said that once I get used to it, it'll get easier. I hope he's right. Gray's started training at the police academy and doesn't return my calls because he's too busy or something, and without Loke, it's kind of lonely._

 _I know. It's barely been a day._

 _I'll try to summon him again tomorrow._

 _Love you, miss you,_

 _Lucy._

Natsu scrubbed his hand through his still damp hair. It helped him think. He'd never heard of a 'magical governor' before. He studied the sleeping Lucy. She still didn't look like much. Buxom and soft. She did have magic, and maybe one day with some training and discipline and drive, she could be strong, but she wasn't the most powerful mage he'd ever seen, not by a longshot. _Is it really worth trying to bung up her magic_? Maybe she'd strain herself, but she'd bounce back and get better, mages were resilient.

With no clear answer, he set the letter aside. It offered some insight to Lucy's mutilated arm but it wasn't incriminating. It didn't tell him where Jude Heartfilia kept his dirty secrets, it didn't tell him about properties the Heartfilia's owned, it didn't offer _any real clues_.

 _Maybe they're all like that_ , Natsu thought, and was again tempted to throw them into the garbage. Zeref, as ever, was in his head, telling him to be smart.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered and took out the next.

 _Mom._

Surprise, surprise.

 _I miss you._

Blah, blah, blah. Natsu skimmed through the first paragraph. It didn't reveal anything interesting. He very nearly moved onto the next letter, but seven words caught his attention and held them.

 _He came into my room last night._

He started a few lines above and read, slower this time.

 _After crying for most of the day after receiving Gray's 'Don't contact me, Lucy,' letter, Dad bought me this gold necklace with a pendant that kind of looks like a galaxy to cheer me up. (It's really nice, I think you'd like it a lot.) Then he sat down with me and asked if I wanted to talk. I was going to tell him_ _no,_ _because I didn't want to think about stupid Gray and his stupid new life trying to be a peon of Dad's, but… I guess it was bothering me more than I thought. Dad was…_

 _I don't know. I guess he was nice about it. The nicest he's been in months._

 _Maybe things will be okay._

 _I love you,_

 _Lucy_

Natsu actually threw that letter in the garbage. He didn't _care_ how starry Lucy's relationship with Daddy was.

The next letter was chosen for the deep score marks Lucy's pen left behind. This one was written in anger. It didn't start out like the others, no _Mom, I miss you_ , it just went right into the meat and potatoes.

 _Dad's mad at me. I told him I don't want this lacrima anymore because I can't call any spirit, not without it seriously draining me. He wouldn't listen, though, so yesterday I went to Miss Porlyusica. She kept saying that 'your father knows what's best.' More like, she's afraid of being fired. I was so mad I took the sewing scissors you used to make Michelle and (it's gross) I cut it out myself._

 _Freedom was glorious. It didn't last long, unfortunately. Dad found out within the hour. Honestly, I feel like sometimes he has me spied on. He got Miss Porlyusica to put in another lacrima (seriously, where does he get these from?) and he got her to put a tracking lacrima in beside it, too. He told her I needed_ that _one because he was worried about people trying to kidnap me to use me against him. Isn't that a joke? No one would dare stand against Jude Heartfilia, Magnolia's Chief of Police. They're too afraid._

 _Even me._

 _It's annoying._

 _He told me if I try to cut them out again, there's going to be 'serious consequences'. You know, in_ that _tone. I asked what. He didn't say anything, but he was looking at my celestial keys. I don't know if I think he'd take them away for real. Maybe._

The next letter Natsu opened seemed to be in sequence with the last.

 _Dad came to say sorry last night._

 _I was hiding beneath the sheets because I didn't want to look at him. He laid down with me and hugged me. I didn't want to cry. I did, though. He told me he was worried about me. He's had some nasty feud with some of the gangs around town, apparently there's been threats to us. That's why I have to have the tracking lacrima. I get it, I guess. He wants me to be safe. He's really worried now since you've been gone. We fell asleep like that and stayed there the whole night. It was the best I've slept in months, actually. In the morning, he didn't talk to me, though. I haven't seen him all day, either. He's locked himself in his office. I wonder if he's mad again._

 _These last few months have felt like one huge rollercoaster. I'll be happy when it stops. Loke says Dad's being weird because he misses you. "Everyone grieves differently," he said. I cry, Dad gets mad. We're quite the pair._

 _Love you,_

 _Lucy_

Natsu thought about how he grieved. He got angry, it was a trait he'd picked up from Zeref. Maybe it wasn't his most stellar quality but it got the job done. Why cry when you could get even?

The next letter had almost no sustenance and no context. All it said was, _When I woke up, Loke had my bags packed. Dad knew somehow and caught me in the back forty. He took my keys._

The family drama thickened. What would make Lucy suddenly want to run away? Natsu pulled out three letters and flipped through. Two were signed ' _Love, Lucy_ ,' one of which was tear-stained, the ink smeared, the last was written with such force that the pen slid through the paper.

He skimmed that one, jumping to the bottom where he slowed.

 _I pretend to be asleep. I don't know if that helps or not. Maybe it encourages it. I think about telling him no, but the words get stuck in my throat. I hate it, and yet, I don't do anything to make it stop. I hope it'll just go away. Loke says if I don't do anything, it'll never get better. He's my father, though, and that should mean something. He loves me._

The next letter said,

 _Mom,_

 _Dad called me Layla today. I don't think he realized it. I let it go because yesterday, when I walked by his office, the door was open a crack and through it, I think I saw him crying. I guess we're more alike than I thought. That night, he bought me a pink dress like yours and we went to a play. It was nice. He was a little happier. He wants to go out again this weekend. I don't have anything else happening, so I guess I'll go. I just hope he doesn't think about you the whole time. You guys used to go out like that all the time, remember? He gave me a bunch of your clothes, too—mostly your nightgowns. I don't know if I can wear them. Not only are they yours… well… I don't know. They show off a lot, Mom. Like_ , a lot _. I'm embarrassed just thinking about it. That's stupid, isn't it? I don't think Dad wants your stuff thrown out, so I took them and smiled. They still smell like you. Maybe I will try one on._

The letters were out of sync but the picture Natsu found himself trying to paint was one that made his stomach feel heavy. _You're making leaps without any evidence. Zeref would tell you to be smart_. Which meant finding another letter and doing some more research.

* * *

In the passenger seat with the window down to combat the car's sour smell, Erza kept her eyes peeled to the passing street. "Are we going to Dutch's Garage?"

Gray grunted his affirmation. Dutch's Garage wasn't actually a garage, or even a carpark for that matter. It was a wide stretch of concrete that eased into Heart Lake. It was supposed to be a boat launch but after it was converted to such fifteen years before, the town started charging for its use. Less and less people wanted to pay, so more and more, gangs and thugs found use for it. And why not? Right off the pier, the lake was sixty feet deep, the current took anything that was dumped in it and dragged it out into deeper water still. It was the perfect spot to hide things that didn't want to be found. No normal citizen haunted those parts now, not unless they wanted to buy some rock, a hooker or they were seriously lost.

"If the car was taken there, it was dropped into the water already, Erza."

"Yes," she agreed, "But I bet there is someone there that can say if they've seen it or not—and, more importantly, _who_ dropped it in."

He gave her a plaintive look. "You're trying to get me shot." Cops weren't welcomed in Dutch's Garage; it was no secret.

"I'm trying to help you do your job better," Erza said. "You can rough up a few guys, can't you?"

She knew how to get to him, whether intentionally or not. "Yeah, course I can, but who's going to stop the next one from putting a bullet in my gut, eh?"

"I will," she said confidently. "I'm an excellent shot. Between the two of us, we'll get someone to talk."

"You're ruthless." Not to mention out of her mind.

"I'm pragmatic," Erza said. "That's why I'm such a good constable."

"You're not a constable."

"In training."

"That's a stretch."

She scowled at him. "You told me you needed my help."

That was not how the conversation went. Gray said, "You haven't ever shot a gun—"

"Yes I have. I took your spare last year. I practice with targets every night."

"You did _what_?" Gray took his eyes off the road to see if she was joking. She looked abashed, actually.

"You weren't using it."

"Do you know how much shit I got in for losing that gun? That's probably why the Chief can't remember my fucking name."

"I'm sorry," Erza said, "But it was worth it. Because of your sacrifice, I'm probably the best shot on the force."

"Unbelievable," Gray muttered.

Erza smiled. "So, here's the plan. We'll leave the Tudor on Vanguard Street. I'll take your gun and get to high ground."

"I need my gun."

"Your _spare,_ " Erza clarified.

He glowered. "You took it."

"I know the Chief issued you a new one, stop being a baby," Erza said.

Gray sighed. "Uh huh."

"So, I'll get to higher ground. You don't have your civvies here, so that won't work, but if you ditch the hat and the coat, you might pass as a civilian for long enough to get close, as long as you don't do that Cock Walk."

"Cock Walk?"

"Like a rooster," she explained. "That's what me and Levy call it. All the cops have this strut; I don't know why."

"And let me guess, you've been practicing," Gray griped.

Erza's beam was infectious. "I'll show you one time."

Gray sucked on his tooth, half wanting to laugh, half wanting to take her home and pull everything out of her house even remotely related to the constabulary.

"Don't start looking at me like that," Erza said.

He schooled his features. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not a damsel in distress," she said. "I'm _femme fatale_. Like Marie Windsor in _The Killing_."

Gray looked at her sideways again.

"What?" Erza challenged. "You don't think I am?"

"Marie Windsor _died_ at the end of that film, Erza. She was crooked as they came and because of that, her no good lover _shot her_."

"Okay, the parallels are weak, _but_ , she had _spunk_. Why are you giving me such a hard time? You don't think I can do this?"

He kept his eyes on the street. "Just… worried about you. It's a tough job."

"And I'm tough," Erza said.

Gray turned the headlights off and slowed the car to turn down Vanguard Street. After a sharp right, he put it up in the parking lot of a mill and cut the engine. They sat in silence for several long seconds.

Erza held out her hand. "Give me your gun."

Gray turned to look at her head on. Her hair was bright in the light of the slowly brightening sky, her skin as pale as milk. "What if things go sideways and you get shot, Erza?"

Her eyes were black in the shadows. "I won't."

A promise and confidence wasn't a good shield. "You might. You're—"

"Not a cop, I get it," she said. "And you are. But here's the thing, we're out here and I'm your backup. Trust me. Give me your gun, I won't let anything happen to you."

Gray was still immobile.

"God sakes," Erza cussed. She took off her seatbelt and threw open the door.

Gray reached for her and missed, she was out of the car and closing the door already. He hurried to follow her, at first forgetting to unbuckle his seatbelt. He scrabbled to rectify it, leaving the door open in his wake. Erza was already ten metres away, heels snapping on the pavement. "Erza, what in the hell are you doing? Get back here!" Gray hissed lowly. She slowed and turned at the side of the mill. She looked like a ruby haired doll, unrealistic in the strange light.

"I'm getting the job done. You cover me."

That was, perhaps, an even worse idea. "Get the hell back here."

She didn't listen, of course, not Erza Scarlet.

Gray jogged to catch up with her, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back against the mill seconds before she could step out on the other side of the building and find herself standing on the outskirts of Dutch's Garage. She hit the wall with an _oof_. A second later, a man several meters away passed by the alley. He didn't look their way. With his body pressed against Erza's, Gray couldn't tell whose heart beat harder.

"Let go," Erza whispered. Her hot breath broke over his cheek, smelling like bubble gum.

"No, Erza. It's too dangerous. You don't know what you're doing. There are guys out there that will kill you for—" Gray trailed off, feeling Erza's hands slip around his waist. His heart beat faster still, and then he realized what she was doing, fussing at the back of his belt for that goddamn Smith and Wesson six shot he had tucked away. She had it out of its holster and in her hand before he could make a protest. Then she was tugging up her dress to reveal a leg holster that she should _definitely not have_.

Gray barely heard his own voice. "Where the hell did you even get that?"

"I had it made for occasions just like this," Erza said.

"You just wear it every day?"

She secured the gun then dropped the dress (thank god) and tapped his cheek. "Told you. Femme fatale. Like Marie Windsor." She slipped from his grip and into the parking lot. Gray looked after her in disbelief. Then he realized that he had two options: get out there and blow her cover and potentially get them both shot or get to higher ground and cover her.

 _You better hope your aim is good_. And that Erza didn't venture too far away. With a pistol, it was hard shooting far away targets with much accuracy.

* * *

While Erza knew what she was doing was dangerous, she couldn't help but feel more than a jolt of excitement as she clopped over the concrete of Dutch's Garage toward a group of men that congregated in a circle around the water. She pulled down the collar of her dress and put an extra swing in her hips, planning out her course of action. It wasn't very beguiling to pretend to be a nightwalker, but it was in her experience that men of this caliber were, for the lack of a better word, stupid. Especially when it came down to two very important things. Drugs and girls.

The flick of a lighter caught her attention. Someone laughed. _They're smoking_ , she thought and prepared for the nose-burning scent, but then someone whimpered, the smell of gas came to her nose, and she had a very different perspective of what was going on. Her heart beat twice as hard as before.

"No screaming now, Evie, if you do, I drop this zippo and… guess what? You lose your chance to walk away. Now answer me, did you or did you not give Orga up to the cops?"

"N—no Gajeel."

One of the men shifted, revealing a thin man confined to the ground. The concrete around his body was saturated in gas. Even disheveled and in his civvies, Erza recognized Eve Tilm, a constable at the constabulary. Her tongue felt frozen and her lungs were too small watching that lighter get closer and closer. _They're going to kill him._ She felt paralyzed.

A man with various ornaments stabbed through his face ducked so he was nose-to-nose with their prisoner. "That's funny, someone told Jellal that they could have sworn you were the one that pulled Orga in. You know what Jellal thinks now? You've forgotten that you're not a real cop. He thinks you're trying to go straight on us."

"No—I swear. I'm loyal," Eve spewed reassuring words that went completely unheard.

"Then who arrested Orga?"

A tall and wide blonde man interjected. "Gajeel, if Eve says he knows nothing but you're still not sure, stop wasting time and kill him."

"Wait! Wait!" Eve rushed to say. "I think I know who. His—his name is Hibiki Lates." Eve's partner. Erza willed him to be silent as much as she willed him to keep talking. If he talked, he might be able to talk his way out of this bind. "The cops picked him up last year out of Clover. He specializes in intelligence collection. He's their ace in the hole. He lives on Het Avenue—house number—ah—"

Maybe he didn't have to talk _that_ much. Erza found she could move after all. "Evening, gentlemen."

The words stopped. The lighter burned for another moment, then the man holding the flame—Gajeel Redfox, if Erza knew her baddies as well as she thought she did after hours of secretly pouring over Gray's files—flicked the lighter closed.

"What's this?"

Erza shrugged. "Someone was whispering in my ear that I might be able to find a man out this way that owns a 3-window lowboy Deuce coupé."

Gajeel studied her. "Can't you see we're busy here, doll?"

Erza stepped closer and squinted. She audibly caught her breath and pretended she saw Eve for the first time there on the ground. "My."

"Get on now," Gajeel said. "This ain't nothing a lady like you should be seeing."

Erza nibbled her lip and tried to make herself look genuinely pathetic. "Of course." She grabbed the hem of her dress and started away as quickly as her high heels would allow for.

"Hang on," came a voice from the group.

Erza kept going.

"Hey, I said stop."

The click of a hammer going down really pulled her up in her tracks.

"What are you doing?" That was Gajeel.

"She's running." And that, the blonde. _Laxus Dreyar_ , Erza thought, another one of Magnolia's infamous.

"I told her to get out of here."

"It'd be rude of us not to escort a lady back to her car, don't you think?" Laxus asked.

Gajeel took in a breath.

Erza faced them, trying to look ingénue. "Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

Laxus didn't try to hide the gun he had trained on her. Erza feigned ignorance. It was believable, in the weird not-quite-night-and-not-quite-morning light, she could barely see the gleam of the metal. "My friend here changed his mind, he's going to show you his car. Ever been to Monnet's Point?" A high bluff and a popular body dump amongst criminals. The bog below it's sheer face took everything it was offered.

Erza's heart beat with excitement and fear. This was what she craved. "No, but it sounds lovely."

Gajeel rolled with the change of plans. "I think you'll like it." He put his lighter in his pocket and came to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. He smelled like smoke and gasoline.

"You'll never see a nicer place." Laxus jammed his foot in Eve's side. "Get up."

"Up?" Eve repeated dumbly.

Laxus glanced at Erza. "Pretty faces make me feel generous." He hauled Eve to his feet and sliced through the ropes binding his wrists together. "It's your lucky day. I suggest not fucking it up."

Eve mumbled his gratitude, swore they wouldn't regret letting him go, then took off, hobbling past Erza without a glance in her direction. Either he, too, was very good at acting, or that was the last she was going to see of him. Maybe he'd be on the next train out of Magnolia, deciding that undercover work just wasn't for him.

 _I can do it_ , Erza thought and had the chance to prove that as Gajeel guided her away and asked, "What's your name, doll?"

She batted her eyes. "Barbra, but my friends call me Barbie."

"Cute."

Erza beamed. "Can we just go to my car for a sec? I left my purse in there and I'd really like to get it."

Purses meant ID. ID meant trails. Gajeel, predictably, smiled. "Sure thing. Lead on."

Erza kept her steps even, as with her breaths, masking all of her nervous tells as Dutch's Garage fell away and the mill cast its shadow upon them.

"So, Barbie, you like hot-rods, huh?" Gajeel whittled. Erza didn't know if he was making conversation to break up the silence, because he felt obligated to get to know the girl he was very shortly planning on killing, or if he was trying to flirt with her, maybe sweeten the deal before he got her blood on his hands.

"Always been a passion," she gushed. "There's just something about the engine, and the wind going through your hair."

"Yeah?" He pulled up short against the side of the brick mill and positioned Erza so she was pinned between he and the wall. She caught her breath and made a fist, preparing for violence. This wasn't like training had been—her instructor accepted her punches or dodged, he caught her fist or he sidestepped and put her on the ground. She knew him and what to expect. Her mind was racing, trying to anticipate Gajeel's next move. Was he going to be a cad? Was he going to try to do her in right there? Her fingers twitched around the gun on her thigh. Then Gajeel spoke and sidetracked her.

"Laxus is expecting me to kill you."

She didn't have to try very hard to make her eyes wide. A little bit of fear was healthy; embellishing it helped her pretend. "Kill me?"

"You can cut the bullshit act. I know you work the constabulary's desk. Here's the thing, it doesn't sit good with me killing a girl if I don't gotta, especially one of Levy's friends—"

"How do you know Levy?" Erza blurted.

He ignored her. "So just run along, keep your head down and never come back to this part of town again, otherwise I'm going to have a mess to clean up." He released her and took a step back. Erza could tell he expected her to run; men like him were used to that kind of response, so he looked at her kind of perplexed when she didn't move.

"I have questions," Erza said. "And I think you have answers."

"I don't have anything for you except a bullet if you don't get on your way," Gajeel threatened.

"I'm looking for a '51 Chevy Impala. It might have been brought here a few hours ago." God, it was getting so… early. The sun was bruising the horizon pink. She had to start work in three hours and she hadn't slept at all. Erza didn't let that deter her, though, this was where the action was, this was what she craved. She felt more alert than she had in years.

"What would a girl like you want to know about that for?"

"It's part of an investigation," Erza said with pride.

Gajeel looked at her blankly. As her words sank in and she didn't indicate that she was joking, his mouth curled into a disbelieving smirk. "Are you telling me the cops have got girls working for them now? Are they that hard up?"

Erza bristled. "I don't see what's so funny about a woman investigator."

"Does your husband know you're out here dodging shadows?"

It didn't take very long for Erza to decide that she hated him. Movement over Gajeel's shoulder caught her eye and made her forget her retort. She tensed, thinking maybe it was Laxus coming to see if Gajeel had made good on his orders. She saw the flash of Gray's cross necklace and relaxed just a little.

Then she got mad when she realized what he was doing there, sneaking up on her perpetrator so he could take care of the tense situation. Determined to handle things herself, she balled her hand into a fist once more and hit Gajeel square in the jaw with everything she had, just like her instructor taught her.

* * *

Natsu should have expected to see a scantily clad and very catty Angel when he rudely knocked once on Zeref's door and entered without waiting for a reply, but he didn't—his head felt almost empty, mostly fuzzy. The woman had been padding her way to the washroom, a housecoat on her naked body but undone. As soon as she saw Natsu, her 'satisfied' face went to one of anger and the curses began. Natsu weathered them, seeking out his brother. Zeref was in a pair of jeans only, sitting on the edge of his bed with a beer in his hand. He looked at Natsu, brows raised, surprised but not angry to see him. "Is she making trouble?"

He'd been singular in getting there, not really thinking about what to say or how to say it. Zeref's question caught him off guard. "What?"

"Lucy? Our hostage? The girl you kidnapped? The one who, I hope, is still in Gajeel's old room, waiting to help us and then get sold off?" With every word, Zeref got more annoyed. "Or did she smack you on the head and make her great escape? Let me guess, she figured you out, twisted you up and smiled just right and that was it." He stood and shot back the rest of his beer. "I knew this was going to be a fucking disaster the minute you and Wendy walked into my office with that girl. I should have listened to my gut."

"Zeref," Angel started.

"Get out, Angel," Zeref snapped, still cranky.

Her brows came together, her lips got tight. Her scowl was practiced. She didn't fight like other girls might have, she didn't cry or get red-faced. She squared her shoulders, tightened the tie on her housecoat and then grabbed her discarded lingerie and left in a whirl of perfume. The door slammed loudly in her wake.

Quiet ruled.

"She's not going to want to come back to sing after that," Natsu said finally.

"How can you even think about that right now?" Zeref asked. "Our plan is exploding in our face and—"

"Lucy's still in the room. She's—she's asleep." Or at least he hoped.

Zeref froze yanking on a grey polo. "What?"

"She's still here. She hasn't left."

Zeref didn't relax. "Who's watching her? Are Wendy and Rogue back? I told them to check in here first—"

"No, they're not back, no one is watching her," Natsu cut in, though he knew Zeref would be pissed with the admission.

Predictably, Zeref asked, "Then what the hell are you doing here?"

Natsu held out the letter he'd crumpled in his sweaty palm on the way over. "I think I found out why Lucy doesn't want to go back home."

Zeref snatched the letter from his hand and read what Natsu had.

 _Locking my door doesn't help. He always seems to get in one way or another. He doesn't call me Lucy anymore, not at night. It's always Layla. I don't know what to do. I dyed my hair brown, thinking maybe if I didn't look just like you, Mom, it would help. He got really mad and almost broke Loke's key because of it. I got Miss Porlyusica to help me dye it blonde again. I got Loke's key back after we spent the night together._

 _I look like you and I hate it._

 _I look like you and he loves it._

Natsu watched Zeref read the passage three times. He looked up finally, a tense expression on his face that Natsu, in a perverse way, was glad to see, because that meant that he wasn't making shit up, it was as he thought. Zeref asked, "Where did you find this?"

"In her closet the other day, when Rogue and I went looking for her."

After a moment, Zeref said something unexpected. "Good work. We can use this to raise her ransom."

Natsu was sure he'd misheard. "What?"

"We'll bend Heartfilia like a piece of copper, take everything he has. Something like this would ruin him."

"Zeref…"

"Don't go soft, Natsu," Zeref said. "This is really shitty, and I'm sorry it's happening to her, but we have to think about ourselves, too. Once this is done and we have our money and Happy back, this secret is going to be our security. He won't know who we've told so he'll be afraid to make any moves. We'll tell him we want immunity. Fuck, we'll tell him we want a stipend. No more arrests, no more going without when the pickings are slim, no more running. You said yourself you were sick of it."

"Yeah, but—"

"We're criminals, Natsu," Zeref said. It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "Any way you slice it. We do what's necessary to get by. If that means stepping on a few people—"

Natsu wasn't totally comfortable being the moral compass, that was usually Wendy's job. He tried. "It's wrong."

And Zeref knew it, too. "Before we send her off, we'll give her a gun and show her where to shoot him the next time he wants to pretend she's her mother."

That wasn't good enough. "Zeref—"

"What do you want, Natsu?" Zeref started to pace. "You want to put a bullet between his eyes? You want me to? And then what? Someone else will take his place. We're still running, we're still fighting, we're still getting shot and every day, their aim gets a little bit better. We need to do what will keep us safe. I thought we were fucked, but this, as shitty as it is, is a blessing. Don't mess it up getting all tangled where you shouldn't."

"I can't believe we're having this conversation," Natsu said at last.

Zeref stopped pacing. "Neither can I."

"If this was Wendy, his neck would already be broken."

"It's different. Wendy's one of us," Zeref said. "You don't even like this girl, Natsu. You've done nothing but be surly and tell me how much you hate her."

Natsu chewed his tongue hard, morals and long-thought bigotry fighting together. He didn't know if he could ignore this.

Zeref searched his eyes. "Whatever you're thinking, stop. It's hard, but the best thing you can do is nothing. I know that's a concept that's hard for you and this isn't ideal, but think of the big picture."

"It's a little less than 'not ideal'," Natsu said.

Zeref sighed. "You're going to cause problems for me, aren't you?"

Natsu met his brother's eyes stubbornly, not saying either way.

"Yeah, I don't even know why I ask. Everyday you're causing me problems." He pushed his fingers into his temples, thinking hard. "How about this," Zeref said eventually. "We trade her back." Natsu opened his mouth to cut in, Zeref spoke over him. "When we do, we tell Heartfilia we know his secret. We ask for a stipend like I said and tell him if he touches her again, we'll blow the whole thing out of the water. That way, everyone wins."

"You think it'll work?"

"I think men like Chief Heartfilia like their lives to go smoothly." Zeref delivered the insight in that way he had, the one that said he'd seen a lot and was confident his assessment was accurate.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, Natsu. It'll work."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Like I said, we'll give her a gun and show her where to shoot."

The knot in Natsu's chest eased just a little—unless, of course, he imagined Lucy _actually_ shooting her father. After that scene in the Impala, he didn't think she could even hold a gun again. _You could pull the trigger for her._ What he wouldn't give to put a hole between Jude Heartfilia's eyes. _You'd be going against what Zeref said._ And he was right back to wanting to pull his hair out.

Zeref distracted him with something else pressing. "Now, we just need Lucy to help us find Happy."

"I was thinking about that," Natsu said. "She says she doesn't know anything, and maybe she's not lying, but I'd bet a pretty penny Jude's guys have something to say."

"Huh?"

"His constables," Natsu said. "If he's dragging people off he's doing it for a reason. It's obvious he doesn't want anyone knowing about it, which means there's no way he's just going to have these people holed up in a place where anyone can walk in and see and start asking questions, right? He's probably got them in some shitty warehouse being patrolled by his constables."

"You think the other cops are in on it, too?" Zeref mused.

Natsu shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they have no idea and they're just doing a job like everyone else. The point is, they're going to know where their Chief sends them, right? So we just have to pull one of his constables in and get them to talk."

"Rogue said Lucy was close to one of them," Zeref said, scheming as always. "Maybe he'd be a wealth of information if Miss Heartfilia asked nicely, don't you think?"

Yeah, he did. Lucy was the kind of girl men talked for. "I'll ask her where I can find him," Natsu said.

"Are you going to tell her you know?" Zeref asked, halting Natsu's retreat.

"I don't know."

"Sympathy could go a long way."

"Or it could make her uncooperative." Never mind that he had no idea how to broach the subject.

"You should try to be friends with her, Natsu, a compassionate ear. An ally like her could be good for us," Zeref said. "Even if its temporary."

"Why don't you go ahead then?" Natsu asked. He was already waging an internal war; he didn't need to fuck up his perspective anymore.

"Wouldn't mean as much coming from me." Zeref went to the cherry red Coca-Cola fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out another bottle of beer. Natsu waited to be offered one; he wasn't. Typical Zeref. That was fine, he didn't want his head any fuzzier, jumbled as it was by Lucy's letters. Zeref popped the top and took a deep swallow. "I told you before, you get more from people if they think they're your friends. That's why Jellal cuts us the deals he does, that's why when Erik sells his shitty rock to Orga and his guys, we don't get gutted. It's what keeps our little criminal empire together." Zeref's teeth flashed white and straight. "Get out there and make friends."

Natsu felt like a kid again with that order—who knew if he was going to obey it or not? Befriending the chief of police's daughter seemed dangerous, especially now. Zeref was right when he said she had him all twisted up.

Out of the room and heading back toward Lucy, he leaned on every trick he knew to keep himself impartial. After all, she was only ever supposed to be a vehicle that took him to Happy. As with most things in his life, though, it seemed this, too, wasn't going to work out the way he wanted.

* * *

A/N: Trivia time: Did you _know_ that even above Noir, Bleeding Stars was my favorite story to write? I mention this because I've had several people tell me this, Sweet-Rot, is the best I've done so far. I can see why it may be a favorite. It has my heart. But not my soul the way Bleeding Stars did. Not my love the way Noir did. This is an ugly little story twisted in a flowery noose of shit, a story about pain and abuse that I hadn't meant to write. Aside from all that, it has a voice, though I'm not sure I much like the way it sounds.

Anyway, I wanted to make sure to say thank you to everyone who has liked my Facebook Page, Kaitlin Corvus, supported me in my very first book release ever (hopefully not the last, the Reformation of Linnea Hail is coming along slower than expected, but still coming) and everyone that reads my fanfiction and my sometimes ridiculously long A/N's. You are, in fact, gods.

-Freyja


	12. Chapter 12

The element of surprise was not enough to bring down Gajeel Redfox. He had a jaw hard enough to be made of iron and he had a way about him that was too stubborn for his own good. Erza discovered her folly as soon as her punch hit home—she had underestimated him. Her knuckles screamed and split, and though her fist made a satisfying _thwump_ as it connected, the damage done to the perpetrator was less than expected.

Instead of going down as she had planned, Gajeel tongued the fresh hole in his cheek. "That wasn't very wise." Blood stained his teeth, seen as he spoke.

Erza shook off the pain in her hand and swung again. Gajeel took that hit as well, only jolting slightly on impact. Erza's confidence took a massive blow. She did what she could to push back that eroding voice that said she'd bitten off more than she could chew. She moved to hit the man a third time. He grabbed her wrist and pinned her back against the wall so abruptly, her head cracked against the bricks.

"This kind of work leaves a real shitty taste in my mouth, doll," Gajeel said. "But, you had your chance. You just couldn't help yourself, though, could you? Now we have to play by the rules." He tugged her away. "Come on, Monnet's point is real nice by the light of dawn."

Erza's eyes cleared slightly. She found Gray just steps away. He had his gun raised and the hammer cocked back; neither she nor Gajeel had heard it engage. He was opening his mouth to make his threats and take her glory. Erza remembered her own gun tucked into the holster on her leg. Determined to still make things go her way, she forwent talking, lifting her knee and finding the soft spot between Gajeel's legs. He didn't take that hit as well as he did her punches. His face went white; he dropped her arm. Free, Erza hiked up her dress and pulled her gun. Gajeel looked surprised to have the chrome shoved against his cheek.

"We need to talk, Mr. Redfox, and we're doing it on my terms. Get up slowly and start walking." Erza congratulated herself when her command came out strong and sure.

"Fuck, Erza," Gray finally let his presence be known. "As far as subtle goes, you leave a lot to be desired."

"Is this a joke?" Gajeel asked, taking in the two.

"I'm not laughing," Erza said. "Hands on your head, interlock your fingers and get walking."

Gajeel straightened from his injured slump. "You're fucking dreaming; there ain't no way—"

Scuffing at the end of the alley made them all freeze. Erza followed Gajeel's gaze back toward Dutch's Garage and saw a group of approaching men. At the forefront was Laxus Dreyar. She hoped that the light was low enough to hide the specifics of their tangle.

"Thought you were going to drag the dame to Monnet's Point, Gajeel? You know the boss doesn't like messes left on his turf."

Caught, Erza's mouth dried up. Gajeel, seeing she was distracted, swung back around and grabbed her gun. Erza tightened her hold seconds before it was torn from her fingers. A round went off. Down at the end of the alley, Laxus pulled his own piece from his holster while snapping some directions to the men at his side. They fanned out. One-by-one, hammers fell into place.

Chaos descended. Gray shouted commands that buzzed by Erza's ears. Someone at the other end swore. A gun went off, a bullet lodging firmly in the wall behind Gray's head, letting him know in no uncertain terms what everyone thought of his orders. Then the flurry started. Gunshots echoed through the alley, deafening. Bullets _tinged_ off metal and cracked through old windows.

Seeing an opportunity, Erza lifted one leg, teetering in her heels, and kicked out. She got Gajeel in the thigh. He cussed and palmed her entire face and shoved her back toward the wall again. It wasn't a particularly eloquent move, but it did what it was supposed to: send her off balance, make her loosen her hold on the gun. It came out of Erza's fingers just as Gray brought the butt of his gun swinging into Gajeel's temple. The hit connected solidly. Their target would have gone down like a sack of bricks but Gray grabbed him around the chest and held him sort of upright, using him as a shield.

"Car, Erza."

A bullet disintegrated the wall beside Erza's ear. "What?"

"Get the fucking car!" Gray lay down more fire, hitting one silhouetted figure in the leg bad enough that they met the ground.

Erza moved, running as quickly as her heels would allow. Pot holes tried to trip her, she stepped in puddles that splashed brown water in to her shoes and made her feet slip, she did what she could to run a zig zag pattern like the cadet's manual said.

At the alley's edge, she chanced a look over her shoulder and saw Gray had run out of bullets. Now he focused on keeping Redfox in front of him and on backpedaling in her direction. He was twenty feet behind and ahead of him, Laxus and his men were closing fast. _Go, go, go._ Erza's heart was in her throat. She turned the corner and saw the old sour Tudor shining in the first rays of morning light.

She didn't really register the trek from the side of the mill into the parking lot, into the Tudor's front seat, there was too much adrenaline in her veins for that. The keys were in the ignition. It took her two tries to turn the car over and another three seconds to recall how to pull it into drive. The transmission engaged. She hit the gas so hard, the back end fishtailed. It evened out again, bringing her to the alley's mouth.

Gray was still coming and he still had his prize. He'd resorted to magic, freezing the ground to slow his aggressors with moderate success, two of six were sprawled like toddlers in a skating rink. Erza slammed on the brakes and reached into the backseat. She almost couldn't reach the door handle. She stretched and stretched. By some stroke of luck, her fingers closed around the latch, allowing her to push the squeaky door open in time for Gray to mostly fall back into the seat.

"Drive!"

She didn't need to be told twice. Facing forward again, she jammed on the gas, though Gajeel was still mostly out. Bullets chased them, some pegging off the bumper, some biting into the side panels. Erza ducked low when one found the window frame by her head. She swung out of the parking lot and onto Vanguard Street. In seconds, they were too far away and there were too many obstacles for a continued assault.

In the back seat, Gray grunted and yanked Gajeel the rest of the way in. Wind force pushed the Tudor's door closed. Erza wrenched around, seeing Gray fuss with a pair of handcuffs. They cinched on Gajeel's wrists with finality. "Are you okay?"

Gray said, "Alright. You?"

"I'm okay." She looked back around. "Who's bleeding?" The smell of blood was in the car.

"Keep your eyes on the road," Gray snapped.

Erza looked back around in time to narrowly avoid getting creamed by a pickup. The other driver blared their horn. She looked sheepish but not deterred. "Did you get shot?"

Gray pushed Gajeel to the other side of the backseat and pulled up his pant leg. His calf was bleeding. Someone had grazed him.

"Shit," Erza cursed. "You need to go to the hospital. I'll drop you off and then I'll take the Tudor back to the station. One of the guys there can help me with him and—"

"No."

"No?"

"It's just a scratch."

"You were _shot_ ," Erza protested.

Gray reached into the console and grabbed out a wad of takeout napkins. "Got a hair tie?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Give it to me."

She did, the sour look on her face not really going anywhere, especially when she saw what Gray had in mind. "Sticking greasy napkins on your leg and holding it there with a hair tie is _not_ acceptable."

He waved her off. "It is until we get back to my place."

"Why are we going there? We have a criminal; he should go back to the station so we can question him."

"Erza," Gray said with forced patience. "We can't bring him in."

"Why the hell not? Mr. Redfox there is wanted on a _ton_ of charges. Not to mention, he was trying to set Eve Tilm on _fire_ when I interrupted. Chief would reward you for bringing in this scum bag. Don't you want the Christmas bonus, the _Good morning Constable Fullbuster,_ the chance at your own desk in your own office?" Erza barraged.

Ambition warred with conscience. _This is Lucy's future we're talking about here._ "We gotta play dead on this one."

" _Why_?"

Gray gave her the runaround. "Just leave it. There are things going on that you don't understand."

Suspicion bloomed. "Are you a dirty cop just like Eve Tilm?"

He screwed up his face. "What?"

"It's true, isn't it? That's why you didn't want to go into the Garage, you were afraid someone would recognize you and blow your cover."

Gray shook his head. "You're wrong, Erza. On a lot of fronts. Eve isn't dirty—"

"I _saw him_ —"

"He's _not_ and neither am I," Gray said with force. Erza substituted talking for scowling. More gently, Gray said, "Please, just trust me. I promise I'm not doing this to pull the wool over your eyes. This is more complex than just a stolen car."

"Tell me."

"I can't."

"Right now, Gray, or I'm taking you into custody, too," Erza said with finality.

"You're kidding, right?" Gray asked. But no, Erza wasn't playing.

"Just take me to my place."

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

Gray sighed. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course."

He thought of her stolen uniform shoved up inside the girls' washroom and thought that yeah, maybe she could. For awhile at least. "I can't tell you the details, but Lucy Heartfilia is trying to get out of Magnolia, away from the Chief. I've—I've been helping her get away. I sent her to the cottage on Rosewood. And from there… I think the Den picked her up again. It was them that stole my cruiser and dumped it in that motel, I'm almost sure of it."

Erza slammed on the breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt so she could swing around in the driver's seat. "Come again?"

He met her eyes, though he almost felt too ashamed to. "You heard me."

"Why the _hell_ would you help Lucy Heartfilia run away? And _why the hell_ would she want to?"

"That's not my place to say," Gray replied.

"Oh, no." Erza shook her head so hard her scarlet hair whipped in front of her eyes. "If you don't give me a good reason, I really _will_ drag you in and tell the Chief everything I know, Gray—"

 _Make your stand. With Lucy, or with the Chief and your career._ Choosing the right thing had never felt so difficult before. The path Chief Heartfilia laid out for him seemed easy and clear. Being Chief Inspector, he could help a lot of people. _Girls like Lucy._ Even girls like Erza, who wanted what society told them they couldn't have. The _right_ path, Lucy's path, the one his heart told him to trek, was a little more convoluted and a lot harder. _You're going to lose your job._ Fuck. "If you have to tell him, I get it. But I can't tell you more than that. Just know that I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for a good reason. Lucy's in trouble here."

Erza stared him down. Gray thought she'd try to bully him again. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to tell her no for a third time if she really started to whittle into him. Saying no to her was hard no matter the circumstance.

"Fine," Erza said at last. "I'm taking you back to your house, but I want in on everything from here on out."

"Erza, please," Gray pleaded. "We would both _definitely_ lose our jobs if anyone were to find out about this—"

"I guess we better keep our mouths closed then." She turned back around and put the car into drive.

Gray wanted to slump into an exhausted heap; he needed to search their prisoner for weapons first.

* * *

Outside of Gajeel's old room, Natsu took his hand out of his pocket to push open the door. He hesitated, seeing the blue stain on his fingers: the ink from Lucy's incriminating letter had bled onto his sweaty hand. _You could take those letters to the police. You could have Heartfilia arrested. That's the right thing._ Or… He could send Heartfilia a letter of his own, get the man to meet him somewhere and put a bullet between his eyes. It was better than what he deserved. Or he could do the logical thing like Zeref wanted and _wait._ Sit on it. Show Lucy how to fend the man off, cast around their threats and see where the pieces landed.

Frustration was suffocating.

Natsu took a breath, and then another. One more for good luck. Then he pushed open the door. Everything was exactly how he'd left it, right down to Lucy sleeping on the cot. If only she knew she had plenty of time for running while Natsu grappled with her predicament.

He closed the door and was at Lucy's side before he realized he was going there. She breathed softly, one burnt gold lock of hair puffing with every breath exhaled from her garnet-bright lips. Not quite able to help himself, he crouched and used his forefinger to brush the hair back from her face. She was as perfect as the first time he'd seen her with her lightly freckled and rose-kissed cheeks, her fan of inky lashes, her small delicate nose. It was outrageous that she hated the way she looked. That her father made her feel that way.

She twitched some, rolled mostly on her back, then settled again. Natsu released her and checked the silver watch on his wrist. The face was slightly scratched after an altercation he'd had with some bum a few weeks ago, but it was still one of the finest things he owned, next to the single gold stud he had stabbed through his ear.

It was almost six. The sun must have been coming up over the horizon. And he was tired. He didn't think sleep would come easily, though, even after Rogue and Wendy got back and took over and he was able to lie in the cot he had set up just off the distillery room. His thoughts were churning and he was getting eaten up by a sense of urgency. He needed to _act_. What he wouldn't have given to check out Amber Drive with Rogue.

"What are you doing?"

Natsu looked up and met Lucy's open eyes. He realized then he was very much invading her personal space, crouching there beside her, close enough to feel the warmth from her body. He swallowed, trying to buy some time to compose himself and think of a believable answer.

Lucy clutched the sheet to her chest and inched away from him, a guarded look on her face.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Natsu said at last.

"You're creeping on me."

Well, maybe. Not intentionally, though. "I was just checking to make sure you were okay," Natsu fibbed.

Lucy felt her neck for her keys, obviously doubting him.

Natsu told her what she already knew. "They're still there, as per our agreement."

"Thanks." She was all sarcasm. It didn't take away from her charm.

"You have a nice look to you."

"What?"

Yeah, what as in _whatthefuck._ Lucy's letter resonated in his head. _I look like you and I hate it._ It was too late to backtrack, so he ploughed ahead. "I just mean… you don't have to be one of those girls that hates the way you look. You look good. Nice."

She looked at him like he had two heads, and no wonder. Natsu's mouth moved again without his permission. "And, you know, if you had problems, you could find someone to take care of them. Even without the usual means of reimbursement if you find yourself without your fortune."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, not understanding. "Problems?"

"Personal problems. People problems. There are… ways of making those disappear. For good. Without you being indicated. No one would know."

Lucy screwed up her face. "Are you talking about hiring killers?"

Natsu shrugged. "I like to call them problem solvers."

She sputtered. "Is that what you are here in the Den, problem solvers?"

"Sometimes," Natsu said. "I've taken care of a few for the right price."

His words didn't do as he hoped, she didn't relax, she didn't jump at the opportunity, she looked at him in that frightened way she had, the way that made him feel like a devil—like scum. "Why would I _ever_ need something like that?"

Natsu thought of the note weighing heavily in his pocket, of Zeref telling him to be a sympathetic ear. He had a problem, though. It was hard to say, _Hey, I invaded your privacy, read your letters to your dead mother, and I know your dad's been taking his woes out on you.'_

The words just… got stuck in his throat.

"You're running," he said instead.

"From people that try to kidnap me, I'd hope so."

 _'_ _He doesn't call me Lucy anymore, not at night.'_ Natsu shook his head. "You have been even before I climbed through your window and brought you along for the ride."

"That's a leap," Lucy said carefully.

"Is it?" Natsu's heart was beating harder than usual. "You begged my brother not to sell you back, you told me in the tunnels the other day you didn't want to go home. The only people that don't want to go back to their families are those trying to hide from them. You're running, Lucy. You're running from your father."

Maybe she'd come out and say it all on her own, he could act surprised and then…

Her big confession came in the, "Mind your own business," form.

Natsu huffed and wrapped his arms around his knees. His leg gave him a ghost pain, the nerves still raw. _That's your body telling you to shut the fuck up._ And yet, his goddamn mouth kept moving. "Sometimes things happen and people are ashamed."

Her gaze sharpened. "What?"

"Like Wendy for instance, her story is pretty fucked up, and afterward, she felt worthless."

Lucy's macabre curiosity was automatic; like most, she couldn't seem to help herself from asking, "What happened?"

Natsu explained, "She was eleven when her mother sold her to Jellal for a hit of crack."

Lucy went several shades white. "Why would she sell her daughter? And why did he accept? What use would he have for her _?"_

Natsu looked at her dryly. "I know you've been pretty sheltered in your mansion there in the Lantana District but I think you know."

"For sex?" Lucy said it like it was a dirty word, and maybe, in this case, it was.

"You got it, doll."

She couldn't speak for several seconds, then spat, "That man sounds _horrible._ "

Natsu shook his head. "He didn't make the trade for sex, Lucy, he got her out of a bad situation and gave her to the Den the next chance he got because he knew her mother was a waste of skin. Wendy was better off with us. Just because we got a rap sheet doesn't mean we're not still people."

Lucy chewed her thumbnail, thoroughly shamed.

"Wendy's mother was found dead from an overdose in the gutter a week later." Natsu finished.

"It's hard to believe someone would do that to their own daughter."

"I'm always surprised what people will do to the ones they love," Natsu said. "Magnolia is a trove of family secrets, really dark stuff. Everyone's got something they think they have to hide, but usually, when you break it down, it's not really worth hiding. As soon as Wendy's secret was blown open, her life got better.

"What about you, Lucy, got anything you want to get off your chest?"

Lucy's honey coloured eyes bore through him. "Are you asking me because you want some ammunition to tear down my father?"

Damn Zeref, chirping in his ear. "I just think we'll trust each other a little more if we share a secret."

She humored him. "I've always wanted to be a writer. You go."

"A worthwhile secret, Lucy."

She pouted out her full bottom lip, looking unintentionally sultry. "What's more worthwhile than my deepest desire?"

"Your deepest fear," he said automatically, bowling over the imagined heat in her voice and the prickly itch on his skin. He was interested in something much darker than that maddening _feeling_ he had when he looked at her. "The thing that makes you want to put Magnolia in the rear-view."

Her lips got tight. "If you're so interested in secrets, you go, Natsu. What have you run from?"

She thought he wouldn't say. Natsu called her bluff. "When me and Zeref were kids, my dad loved his church and his bible and his gun. My mom liked her whisky and her fun. And the neighbour. One day, the old man came home and went upstairs and found them together. I still remember he came into the kitchen calm as you fucking please. Grabbed Mom's butcher knife, carted it upstairs. Zeref and me… we followed him. I don't know why. I wasn't even all that scared. I just remember thinking, _Mom's being bad._ That's what the old man would say when she'd do something a little sassier than usual. _Mom's being bad._ He'd usually pat her on the butt and that night they'd fuck like rabid dogs."

He paused for a moment, aligning his thoughts. It'd been a while since he'd taken a trip down this particular lane of memory and the road was bumpier than he'd remembered.

"You don't have to tell me," Lucy said. "I was just—it's none of my business."

Natsu started again. "That day, though. There was something in his eye. Zeref knew. He kept telling the old man to stop. And when he wouldn't, Zeref went back down to the kitchen and grabbed the chef's knife we owned. I remember it had a green handle with score marks in the plastic. Weird what you get stuck on, eh?"

Lucy didn't speak.

"Anyway." There was a tang of fear in Natsu's mouth, one that he hadn't tasted in a long time, even when he was shot in the ribs and Zeref was freaking out, even when Happy was dragged off by that cruiser, even when the police showed up and ruined his home. He swallowed past it to continue speaking. "We got upstairs and there was Mom and the neighbour. By this point, she'd found a housecoat. Her cheeks were red, and wet. She was always really easy to cry. Whenever she hurt her toe or cut her finger or if my dad was a little too sharp with his words.

"Dad didn't say anything to her that day, though, he just went in swinging. The neighbour wasn't his target, he only had eyes for her."

"And?" Lucy's voice was a whisper.

Natsu realized he'd gone quiet. "He killed her and Zeref killed him, the neighbour ran off, called the cops. By the time they showed up, Zeref and I had taken what we could and run off. My brother didn't want to go to jail and I didn't want to end up in a home." He brushed his hands off on his jeans like that would dispel the dregs his memory left behind. "And that's that. My deepest darkest secret."

Lucy surprised him with a suspicious question. "Is that a true story or are you really trying to butter me up to get a story you can use against the cops?"

The outrage was real. Natsu kept it under the guise of cool indifference. _It was a long time ago._ "I told you, I don't need ammunition to ruin Jude Heartfilia. He's lined the sights up just fine on his own, he just needs someone to pull the trigger."

Weakly, Lucy said, "My father is a good man. He upholds his morals."

"By making everyone around him suffer and feel helpless? Even his family?"

Two days in and Natsu knew plenty well enough what 'Lucy on the verge of tears' looked like. Her chin wobbled. She was soft, easy to bruise, prone to the waterworks. Life was going to chew her up if she didn't toughen up. He almost dug into her just to see her fold. Old habits. "Hey," he said instead. "Forget about it. Listen, Zeref and I were thinking, where can we find your beau?"

Lucy's chin stopped quivering, her uncertainty rearranged itself. "I don't have anyone like that."

"Gray Fullbuster," Natsu clarified. "Owned the cottage you were holing up in. Ring any bells?"

"Yes, but what do you need him for?"

"To talk. I think he can tell me what I want to know—where to find Happy."

Lucy sat up a little straighter, clutching that sheet to her chest all the while. "Gray doesn't know."

"He just doesn't know he knows. He knows the patrol rounds, though, and all the places Heartfilia tell his men to guard. One of those places has Happy inside, I'm sure of it."

Lucy wavered. Then threw down the anchors. "Even if that's true, we'll find another way; I don't want to involve him."

"Lucy—"

"No. If my dad somehow suspects that Gray's helping us… Gray could lose his job or be put in jail."

"Who cares? Happy's life is on the line—"

"You don't know that," Lucy said unconvincingly.

"Fuck, you suck at lying. Just _tell me where to find him._ Remember our deal? Be amicable. Don't make us find him on our own."

"If I do, you're just going to hurt him," Lucy protested.

As naturally as possible, Natsu said, "I told you, we just want to talk. Remember, the faster we can find Happy, the faster you can keep on running away." Fuck, he felt dirty saying that, knowing what Zeref planned. _Your first obligation is to your family, not to this high-society brat. Be cool._ It was easier to be reasonable when Zeref was there being reasonable with him.

Lucy wetted her lips. "I really don't think he knows anything."

"Let us be the judge of that. Tell me where to find him."

"Please," Lucy begged.

His first reaction was to bully out of her what she knew. _Don't get mad. Don't._ Natsu breathed and breathed and breathed until he felt civil enough to say, "Every minute we waste is another minute Happy is out there. Please, Lucy. We need your help."

She didn't soften like he thought she would; Lucy was a whole lot of squish with an iron spine. "Find some other way. I don't want Gray involved."

"You're being stupid."

"I'm being practical. Gray doesn't know anything. My dad doesn't confide in him, he just goes to work and does his job."

"And helps you fly the coop."

"Yes," Lucy said. "Because he's a decent person."

"Give him the chance to be decent again, tell me where to find him so he can tell me where to find Happy."

"He doesn't _know_ ," Lucy snapped. "Find another way."

She didn't look down the silk strands to the web's heart. She didn't see how everything could be interconnected. And no amount of bullying was going to make her see it, either. "Is no your final answer?"

"Yes."

"We'll do it my way then." Hearing footsteps, Natsu stood.

Lucy's eyes went wide. "Your way?"

The door opened and Rogue came in. The man looked tired and still wary of Natsu.

"Amber Drive didn't pan out?" Natsu asked.

"All we got out of there was a warehouse of contraband confiscated over the years," Rogue said. "No Happy."

"Interesting that Daddy's keeping contraband, isn't it?" Natsu asked.

"It's got to be an evidence warehouse," Lucy said, loyal to a fault.

Natsu dismissed her explanation, though it was likely true—law abiding Heartfilia probably wouldn't dream of being crooked like that. "What kind of stuff are we talking about?"

"Badly spelled lacrimas mostly," Rogue said. "Some drugs. Stolen tools, counterfeit cash."

"Counterfeit?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah. Really good counterfeit, but it's all fake."

"Huh." Natsu glanced one more time at Lucy. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me where to find Gray Fullbuster?"

Her clenched jaw and drawn in eyebrows said it all.

"Suit yourself. See you in a bit." Natsu smacked Rogue's shoulder on the way out. "Watch her, she's sly."

* * *

Living on a farm definitely had its perks. The lack of neighbours, for one. There was no one to see the Tudor pull up the kilometer-long driveway. The old barn, for two. It was as good as a place as any to pull Gajeel inside. No one would hear him tucked in there—hopefully.

"Right up to the barn doors," Gray told Erza over the sound of the Tudor's tires crushing gravel. "Then help me pull this guy in.

Wordlessly, Erza stopped and got out. Her door closing made Gajeel groan. Gray held his breath and clenched his fist, ready to knock the man out again if need be. He didn't come fully around. Erza opened the door, took Gajeel by the arm, and lugged while Gray pushed. Like a sack of bricks, Gajeel fell to the ground. Gray crawled out of the car and wasn't as careful not to step on him as he could have been.

"Get his arm and come on."

Together, they hefted him up.

"I feel like we're breaking the law," Erza said.

"Because we are, Constable Scarlet." He hadn't meant to make her smile. He wasn't sorry when she did, though. It fell away.

"You're sure we're doing the right thing?"

"For now," Gray replied. "Until I figure out how to do it better." Turn Chief Heartfilia in? He wished Lucy would. If she made the call… it would be good for her and good for her father, too. Not in a professional way, no, but in a _closure_ way, in a moral way. _He must feel badly._ He had to. Up until _this_ , Jude Heartfilia had been a _good man_.

 _Pain changes people._

Loss. Loss changed people.

"Gray?"

Gray realized that Erza was waiting for him to open the barn doors. He dug his keys from his pocket and slid the door wide enough that they could fit in. He nodded into the shadowed and cavernous interior. "Over here, on the hay bale. And watch for old farm equipment." It was just light enough to see the forklift sticking out on the old fire engine red tractor his father had built, and the old watering bucket beside it.

Erza, as delicate as ever in her high heels, navigated the area as she did everything: effortlessly. Gray was sure, looking at her in the early morning sunlight that snuck through the gaps in the barn boards, that she was something special.

"What is it?" Erza asked, catching him looking.

"You need to go to work and pretend that everything's fine," Gray scrambled to say.

"And leave you here with him?" Erza asked.

"Yes."

"I want to be involved," she complained. "This is my investigation, too."

"You're not a cop, Erza. You're not. It's too dangerous," Gray said.

"Listen," Erza said with force. "I just stole one of Jellal Fernandez's lackeys. And I did it in _style_ , without getting shot, I might add."

The jibe didn't escape Gray's notice.

"I can do this. I'm going to do this."

"You're going to go to work, Erza. Cop work isn't just about interrogating the bad guys and dodging bullets you know? It's about keeping up appearances. When your shift is done, come here."

She gnawed her lip, putting up a good fight, but Gray knew he had her at 'cop work'. "What if you need me?"

"He's cuffed," Gray said. "He won't be any trouble. But, if I do, the constabulary isn't that far away, you can get here in ten."

"You have extra ammo?"

Gray dropped Gajeel down on the hay bail and went to the far wall where, in the housing his parents used for the Jack Russell's they used to breed, he pulled a shot gun and checked. It was still loaded, and there, down at the bottom of the cannel, he found a box of bullets. "I'm fine. If he starts making trouble, he won't be for long."

Erza came for Gray. She stood close enough to make his skin heat. "What if someone starts asking about you?"

Gray found the dexterity to say, "I'll call in and let the Chief know I'm following a lead on my Tudor. He won't ask questions, he wants everyone tracking Lucy and doesn't care how they do it."

Erza blew out a sigh. Gray felt her breath on his neck. "Is your leg alright?"

He thought about telling her no just to have her fawn over him. His pride wouldn't allow for it. "I'm alright."

Her dark eyes were gold flecked. Being this close, Gray could pick out the delicate shade.

Erza said, "I'll bring you back some stuff to mend it after my shift."

"Thanks."

She smiled. "Thanks for letting me ride shotgun. I had a blast." She kissed his cheek then, a quick peck that left Gray feeling brain dead and useless. And then she was gone.

"I'll see you in a few hours!"

The door closed in her wake, leaving Gray and Gajeel alone.

* * *

"We need to figure out where Gray Fullbuster lives," Natsu said, back in Zeref's room once more.

Still half naked, Zeref lifted his head up from his lumpy pillow. "Don't you _rest_?"

"No." Natsu paced.

"I see you spoke with Rogue then?"

"Yeah. Amber Drive was a bust," Natsu said impatiently. "I need Fullbuster's address. Lucy won't tell me where he lives and it's not like its common knowledge."

"Did you try being nice to her?"

"Of _course I was fucking nice to her,_ " Natsu spat. "I said please and everything."

"Yeah, I believe that."

Natsu entertained a violent fantasy. He didn't think Zeref would let him get a hit in, but it was nice to think about.

"You check the phonebook?"

"That was the first place I looked," Natsu said. "No Fullbuster's listed."

Zeref sighed. "Figures. Constabulary makes them take their names out, just in case someone wants to get revenge, you know?"

"Can't imagine why," Natsu said dryly.

"I'll try Jellal. He's got a guy in the constabulary that'll be able to tell us what we want to know."

"Tracking down that lead could take hours," Natsu complained.

"Hours that you could use piling up some Z's," Zeref said.

"I'm not tired."

"Yeah, you used to pull that shit on me all the time when you were a kid." Zeref's smile was affectionate, if not a little barbed. "Didn't work then and it doesn't work now."

"Seriously, I'm not fucking around," Natsu pressed. "I need to know where to find this guy and I need to know _today._ I'm too jacked up to sleep."

"Yeah, yeah." Zeref reached for the glossy black rotary phone beside his bed and spun in Jellal's number. Natsu listened to it ring and ring. Finally, someone answered.

"Angel, doll—"

The dial tone sounded. Zeref pulled the phone away from his ear and glowered at it.

"That went well I see," Natsu said.

"She's a little tender." He dialed again. This time when Angel answered, it was by calling Zeref a very choice name. He took it in stride. "Now why do you have trouble doing that in the bedroom, huh?"

Another dial tone.

"I love it when she's mean," Zeref confided.

"This is a complete waste of time." Natsu started for the door.

Zeref toned back his smile. "Alright, just wait. I'll stop playing around."

Natsu stopped despite himself. Zeref dialed again. Surprisingly, the phone was answered. Forgoing hello, Zeref said, "I need Jellal. Now."

There was silence while Natsu waited for the dial tone. Then he heard Jellal's voice.

"Cutting in on my favourite girl?" Zeref said by way of hello.

Natsu gave his brother a _'really'_ look. Zeref ignored him.

"I guess I should be paying her more then, eh?" He sounded glib; Natsu knew that expression on his face, though. Zeref was a little torn up that Angel was looking for work elsewhere. "Listen, that's nice to know, but not why I called. You still have that guy in the constabulary? 'Cause we need the address of one Gray Fullbuster, a constable there."

Jellal said something.

"You're always charging me and I'm always good for it. This time isn't any different. I'll pay for good information."

Natsu strained his hearing to get Jellal's answer and was rewarded by an, ' _I'll get him on it.'_

Zeref met Natsu's eyes. "ASAP, eh? I'll pay extra. _Vale._ " He hung up the phone and relayed what Natsu already knew. "It's going to take some time. A few hours, tops. He's gotta track the guy down—he works nights."

Natsu sucked on his tooth. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Now do what I said, get some sleep. You'll be useless without it. When was the last time you went down, eh? Last night? Night before? How are you even still walking after Wendy's healing?"

"I have shit to do," Natsu said. "Happy's counting on me."

"So are the rest of us," Zeref said gently. "Seriously, Natsu. Get some rest. As soon as Jellal gets back to me, I'll give this over to you and you can handle it anyway you want. Dealing with this cop, gloves come off, right? We've earned that. But we gotta do this the smart way."

Natsu exhaled. "Yeah, Zeref. We'll do it the smart way."

"Nothing reckless."

"Nope."

* * *

In retrospect, Natsu suspected that breaking into the police station to steal employee information would, in Zeref's books, qualify as 'reckless'. In his own, he tucked it under the banner of 'a calculated challenge.' Never mind the knots twisting in his guts. He didn't need anyone telling him how dangerous it was to be waltzing _through_ the constabulary in broad daylight while impersonating a constable.

In the tinted windows, he made sure that Constable Mines' hat covered his telltale hair, and then checked that his jacket was done up enough to cover the bloodstain to the right of the breast pocket. It needed an adjustment. He paused to fix himself, thinking, _just remember, not only will you get what you want, people talk. You're not doing this for nothing._ Yeah. He'd get his information faster than he would by going through the usual channels, and… if the other gangs knew he walked right into the constabulary and took what he wanted, well, they'd know that the Den wasn't afraid of the cops. They'd know that the Den was still very much a force not to be trifled with. He repeated the risk-reward again and again.

 _No one's going to be looking for you here in the constabulary. Not even Heartfilia, if he's around. He won't think you have the balls. Just go._

Natsu pulled his stolen hat lower on his head.

"That suit still doesn't fit you. You look like a fream," said a voice over his shoulder. Natsu looked in the tinted window before he deigned to turn, sure that he was mistaken. He was not.

Zeref came to his side and clapped him on the back. He'd found his own uniform, one that fit his frame fairly well. Somewhere, there was a cop that wasn't going into work that morning.

"What are you doing here?"

Zeref wasn't apologetic. "Making sure that after he lied to my face, my baby brother doesn't become a punching bag for Magnolia's finest."

The door opened and a woman with fiery red hair stepped out. She glanced in their direction only briefly before she moved on, obviously in a rush to get somewhere.

"Zeref, they'll recognize you," Natsu hissed. Every cop in Magnolia knew his brother's face.

"They will if we keep wasting time out here drawing attention. Let's go. I saw the records room last time they arrested me. Don't talk to anyone. Keep your head down. If you catch someone's eye…"

Run and gun. Usually, when that was the law, Natsu _wasn't_ taking on a whole constabulary full of armed cops and he had a Tommy in his hand. Now he had nothing. Nothing except a shitty six shot revolver and his magic. _And Zeref's_.

Zeref's smile was slightly manic. "Just like old times, right?"

"Right."

"No grievers,"

"No grievers."


	13. Chapter 13

Coming out of the constabulary after telling Chief Heartfilia that she was sick and needed to go home for the day, Erza did a double take, sure that, when she glanced at the two men loitering outside of the constabulary's doors, she had misidentified them. The sun was bright after all, she'd had very little sleep, and it was _unthinkable_ that Zeref and Natsu Dragneel would dare to dress up as constables and break into the constabulary.

The sun slipped behind a blanket of cloud and she saw them more clearly.

There was no mistake.

* * *

It had been a while since Natsu had spent his short time in Magnolia's jail cell—it didn't matter how long he'd been gone from the constabulary, though, he remembered the smell. Chemical floor cleaner, gun oil, paper. Sweat. Metal. Blood. It wasn't something that one just _forgot_ , no matter how long he'd been away.

Everything was as he remembered. The constabulary was a double-floored building with curling embellished railings lining a stairway that led to a loft, where, standing above all, a small group of men spoke in hushed tones in front of a row of windows along the back wall. Above the windows was a huge clock face that read eight o'clock. Beyond the lobby where arrestees and regular citizens waited to be processed, was a frosted door that hid rows and rows of police desks.

The gun on Natsu's hip weighed heavy. He felt barren without handcuffs on his tool belt jangling away like every other officer had. Maybe it was as Zeref said and he was a fream. _With an attitude like that, yeah_. He schooled his features and put his head down. When he was looking at the floor he walked with determined purpose like he was _supposed_ to be there, and followed Zeref's boots.

They passed by the front desk. There, a woman with curling silver hair sat. Natsu immediately recognized her. She was the fuzzy duck's sister. _Strauss_ , he thought. She had a high, clear voice, and currently she was talking into the phone telling someone, "I don't mind covering for Erza if she's sick, but I would really like you to consider giving me next Friday off. I've put in a lot of hours and I think I deserve it."

She must have felt Natsu's gaze because she looked up. Natsu made sure to be looking elsewhere when her eyes found him. He tensed, waiting for her to call him back.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, I really appreciate it," she said instead. And then they were past the desk, out of the cavernous cracked-marble lobby and into a narrow hallway dimly lit by two sixty watt bulbs overhead. The picture they illuminated was one of a clean but well-worn hallway. The walls could use a fresh coat of paint—the sunflower yellow they'd been coated with many years ago was chipped and peeling and faded—while the floors had long ago lost the enamel coating that had made them shine. They passed a door marked 'Evidence,' and another marked 'Office of the Medical Examiner.' The third was at the very end of the hall on the right, and bore stencils that read, 'Records Annex.'

"Pretty sure they didn't bring you down here when they arrested you," Natsu muttered. The cells were the _opposite_ way, hidden behind a metal door down a hallway behind reception.

"No," Zeref agreed. "Not exactly anyway. I convinced one of the officers to give me a tour before my release, just in case we ever needed to do something like this."

"How'd you manage to convince him to do that?"

Zeref pulled up short beside the door and admitted, "I recognized him as one of Orga's clients. You know how Heartfilia feels about his men using, right?"

Jude Heartfilia had zero tolerance all around. "It's a wonder he can live with himself," Natsu murmured.

"Wonder indeed," Zeref said. He looked down the hallway twice before he grabbed the handle. The door complained when opened, the hinges in need of a serious greasing. Beyond, the room was filled ceiling to floor with filing cabinets, so many it was overwhelming.

"Holy."

"This is probably every case the MPD ever worked on." Zeref closed the door just as quietly as he'd opened it. They were thrown into darkness. Natsu was reaching for the light when Zeref clicked on his stolen Maglite, igniting the place with a thin beam of yellow. It was enough to see by. "Forget about the criminal and court records. Cop records will be in a smaller filing cabinet likely. Go left, I'll go right. Work quick and be quiet. If anyone comes in, hide. If we can't hide, you know what to do."

"Right." Natsu took a page out of Zeref's book and called a small bit of flame into being, coaxing it just barely bright enough to see by.

"And don't burn anything."

"Yeah," Natsu agreed.

Zeref went to a small filing cabinet and pulled out the first drawer. Natsu rushed to mimic him. His first target was full of invoices for food and prisoner care before they were transferred to a more permanent facility. He moved on to the next.

"If things go bad for us and we have to get out of here quick, turn left down the hall and keep going. There'll be a T intersection. If you go right, it'll take you to the emergency exit," Zeref said.

"Sure," Natsu mumbled, distracted. He'd found police uniform orders in the middle drawer of a tall black filing cabinet. He tugged out one of the yellow files and started pouring over them. His heart skipped-beat when he saw that not only did it have police uniform sizes, but also the ordering officer's name. Disappointment came shortly after when he realized that there was no address attached. "Damn."

The next cabinet had phone bills. Insurance payables. Worker's comp. filed by officers wounded on the job.

"Any luck over there?"

"Maybe," Zeref said distractedly. Natsu glanced over. Zeref had his Maglite held in one hand and a yellow file folder in the other. He read over a series of yellowed pages. "They're the registration pages for the cruisers. Got insurance and stuff."

"Addresses?"

"Yeah," Zeref replied absently.

Natsu's heart beat faster. "Anything about Gray Fullbuster?"

"Not yet. I'll keep reading you keep looking."

Natsu did what his brother asked, quietly closing the filing cabinet housing the uniform orders and moving onto the next small filing cabinet he saw. This one was locked where the others weren't. His lungs tightened. "I think I got it. This one's locked up."

Zeref abandoned what he was doing and went for the door, leaning his ear against it.

"Do you hear something?" Natsu whispered.

Zeref only said, "Get it open, be quick."

Natsu didn't give himself time to be unsure or nervous. He touched the lock and used his magic to melt the metal. When he could, he grabbed the drawer and yanked on it, mangling the lock enough to render the flimsy mechanism useless. Inside the drawer was a file folder with a large header that read 'Personnel Files'. He tugged the first one out, Adrian Barist, and flipped through it quick. SIN number, address, marital status, psychiatric evaluation.

"Jackpot."

Zeref clicked off his flashlight. "Douse the fire."

Natsu said, "I gotta get the file."

"Douse the fire and grab them all," Zeref hissed. "Something's going on out there."

Natsu listened. The decisive _snap_ of police-issued heels on lusterless marble floor was unmistakable. Even more so was the _click_ of a gun's hammer falling into place. And then five more behind it.

"Fuck," Natsu whispered.

"Fire," Zeref said lowly. "Get rid of it, Natsu."

He almost argued; it wasn't going to do them any good to hide in the dark if they were caught, would it? Years and years of listening to Zeref made him obey. As soon as the flames went out, Zeref said, "Grab the lot and get ready to run. Out the way I told you about, remember?"

"We shouldn't run," Natsu said.

Zeref murmured, "Damnit, Natsu, _not_ the time to argue. I'll step out first and hold them off while you cut out."

Out in the hallway, voices could just barely be heard, though what they said was a mystery, they spoke too lowly even for Natsu's keen ears. Then a voice came louder, drifting through the closed door. "Mr. Dragneel, welcome to the constabulary. It's been a long time since your last visit." Jude Heartfilia sounded like the cat that ate the canary. Confident, pleased.

"Fuck," Natsu swore. "How did they know?"

Zeref looked over his shoulder. "You got those files?"

No. "How the hell are you so anti-frantic?"

"Because I knew it was a dumb idea," Zeref told him. "Right from the get-go."

Heartfilia spoke again. "I would like to resolve this peacefully. You're surrounded. You and your accomplice come out with your hands raised and you'll have a warm dinner tonight in your jail cell."

"That man lies better than Jellal," Zeref said with a hint of humor. "He's good, isn't he?"

" _Zeref_ ," Natsu wheezed.

"You got those files?"

Still no. Natsu scooped them out, the whole lot of them, though he told himself he was stupid all the while.

"I'm going to count to three. If you don't open up that door and step out into the hallway _peacefully,_ I'm going to give my men the order to go in there, guns blazing. Only one of you has to be alive to tell me where Lucy is," Jude threatened.

Zeref grabbed the doorknob. "Are you ready?"

"No," Natsu complained.

"You're going to have to be." Louder, he said, "I'm coming out, Chief, don't shoot, eh?"

"Slowly," Heartfilia called back. "Nice and slow."

Natsu didn't ever consider himself prone to panic, but he was close now. "Zeref, they're going to _arrest_ you." He crossed the room, using the light pouring in through the frosted glass to keep himself from tripping.

"Maybe," Zeref agreed. "But if they're busy arresting me, they're not chasing you, are they?"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say," Natsu told him.

"I try to keep it to a minimum so I don't steal your thunder," Zeref quipped, trying to maintain his good humor. He sobered shortly thereafter. "I go out first, wait for a second, give me time to size up the situation. And then you come out. Right? Go for the doors. Don't try anything fancy, just run."

Not even gun.

"Zeref—"

"I know what I'm doing, Natsu. They'll arrest me, but I won't be here for long."

"The last time this happened, the Den almost crumbled. Mermaid's Heel started to move in, hell, even Jellal was looking at our properties, thinking they'd look better saying 'Fernandez.'" 'Friend' only meant so much amongst thieves.

Zeref tapped his cheek roughly. "Guess you better hold it together until I get out, huh?" He tugged open the door without waiting for Natsu to protest anymore. Natsu held his breath, heart crashing, as the dull hallway light came into the room along with a myriad of smells. Deodorant mostly, laced through with sweat. Beyond that, gunmetal, gunpowder, gun oil.

"I'm coming out now," Zeref said loudly. He put his hands out first. "I'm unarmed."

"Slowly." Without the door acting as a barrier, Heartfilia sounded loud and clear and close. To the right, Natsu thought. Zeref took the first step out into enemy territory. Natsu waited for a shower of gunfire, sweating through his shirt and his jacket.

Heartfilia said, "Put your hands together. Good. Cuff him, Justine."

"Yes, Sir."

Natsu heard boots scuffing over the floor. He counted the seconds, wanting to get the timing perfect, not too soon, not too late.

"Get your accomplice out here."

"Yes, Sir, Mr. Chief," Zeref said. "Come on out, Natsu."

Natsu clutched the stack of files in one hand and readied his magic with the other. Regardless of what Zeref said, there was _no way_ he was going out without a fight, and there was _no damn way_ he was leaving Zeref here, either. He stepped out into the light and forced his eyes wide, though they wanted to squint to adjust to the light change. Men hefting guns, all pointed either at he or Zeref, lined either side of the hallway. One constable in particular held a set of cuffs etched in magic-binding runes. He approached Zeref cautiously, depending upon his fellow officers to keep him from dying. Heartfilia wasn't lying, they were surrounded.

 _Fuck_. How the _hell_ did they know? Not that _how_ was important. _Run and gun_ was getting a makeover. Everything would burn _._ The spark of Natsu's flame was easy to ignite; as long as there was fuel, fire always wanted to burn. Natsu fed it all the magic he could spare, chose a target toward the back of the hallway where the exit was and let loose. In the coming seconds, people screamed, the oxygen in the small space was guzzled by the hungry flames, Natsu's skin pricked with heat. Distantly, he saw the constable in the midst of arresting Zeref go down, a black whip of shadow around his throat. Natsu prepared himself to run, reaching for his brother's arm to drag him along. In a fluid motion, Zeref grabbed his wrist and snugged the cuffs he'd stolen off Justine in place. Abruptly, Natsu's magic disappeared.

"Run!" Zeref screamed in his ear. A bullet slammed into the wall beside his head. Natsu ducked below the next shot and stubbornly called for his magic, scrounging as the constabulary recovered from his brief assault. There was nothing there.

 _"Go! Go_!" Zeref yelled and pushed him so hard, he lost his balance. There was a very brief and very terrifying moment where Natsu thought he'd trip, lose his hold on his stack of files, fall to the ground and get riddled full of holes. That would be the end, he'd die in a dingy constabulary surrounded by enemies. Then he found his feet again.

Only to have them taken away once more. An inky shadow appeared and slammed hard into his chest, lifting him clear off the ground and throwing him back through a pack of gun-aiming police officers. He hit the back wall so fast and so hard, he lost his breath.

"Run!" Zeref's voice rose above the din. A gun went off; more black shadows appeared out of nothing and hit the offending constables so hard, they fell to the ground limply. Natsu had seconds to make a break for it. He got clumsily to his knees, dropping several files in the process. He ignored them and searched through a sea of writhing shadows for his brother. He found Zeref in the heart of a group of men. He pushed them back with magic, and then with his fists. Above the chaos, Jude Heartfilia was yelling, "Hold your fire! Hold your fire! I want _both_ of the Dragneels alive!"

A man broke through the pack and started coming for Natsu, gun still brandished. "Put your hands up. You're under arrest."

Natsu tried for his magic again. It still wasn't working. He fought his revolver out of its holster instead and aimed sloppily. He ended up shooting the constable in the leg. The man went down with a yell, his gun skidding across the floor without ever going off.

A sly shadow slipped between Natsu and the wall and helped him up the rest of the way, pushing between his shoulder blades. He just got his feet beneath him when Zeref's magic disappeared. Natsu again found his brother in the crowd, on his knees with his one eye swollen closed and his mouth bleeding freely. His hands were clasped together, a pair of magic-binding cuffs cinched on his wrists.

 _You have to go,_ Natsu thought.He only had five shots left and no magic.

It was logical, yet he still felt like a coward lurching toward the exit Zeref had named.

Someone screamed for him to stop. Natsu ran faster, pausing at the T intersection to swing around and shoot. His bullet went wild, never hitting his target. It did buy him some time, though, time he used to push off from the paint chipped wall and look for the glowing red EXIT sign. Autopilot took him to the door. He pushed open the latch bar with his body and spilled out into the constabulary's back parking lot.

Sunlight wasn't his friend, it lit him up like a beacon. Natsu ran for the cars and slipped between the metal beasts, using them as cover. The back door crashed open again. Men filled the fenced-in space.

"Stand and put your hands above your head!"

Natsu's heart ground to a halt for a solid five seconds until he realized that they didn't have a visual on him, they were just shouting orders. _Go. Go._ He kept his body low to the pavement and kept a firm hold on the files while he gradually made his way to the chain-link fence. He'd already lost a few, no sense in losing more. That goddam cuff Zeref had stuck him with was too noisy. Natsu held the rattling link and silently cursed his brother to hell and back again.

Tudors hid his travels. He zigged between the cars and tried not to let the approaching footfalls distract him. There was a very specific destination he had in mind, one slit in the constabulary's fence that led into the parking lot of Magnolia's Public Library. Voices followed his progress, police officers talking back-and-forth in hushed whispers about his location and how to proceed. They thought he couldn't hear, but Natsu's ears were very good. Their planning aided him in his escape, allowing him to properly predict which Tudor to hide under while the police officers continued down the rows, looking between cars and beneath.

A trek that should've taken him thirty seconds held him up for a solid five minutes. It wasn't until the officers had reached the end of the lot and doubled back to check again that Natsu made his move. They were barely ten steps past when he rolled out from beneath the Tudor and broke for the nearby cut in the chain-link. The officers were so busy looking between the cars, they didn't notice him ducking through. Nor did they notice him in the next lot over, choosing a car at random to steal. No, it wasn't until the black Volkswagen Beetle's engine was running and he'd slammed the door closed that the police looked up, and by then, it was much too late for them to do anything.

Natsu peeled out of the parking lot, mind whirling. He needed to ditch the car and the duds. He needed a safe place to look over his findings, too.

He turned the car toward Magnolia's mall, thinking that would satisfy all of his needs.

* * *

Gray paced the dirt floor as he waited. Beneath his feet were rogue pieces of hay that had long ago desiccated and were slowly starting to break down. He breathed shallowly, nose burning. It had been a long time since the barn had animals in it, yet the scent of cows still lingered. That was the kind of thing that soaked into the concrete and stayed there.

From his stool on the old hay bale, Gajeel Redfox groaned. Gradually, he lifted his head and blinked his eyes clear. Gray stopped pacing when he was pinned in the man's sharp gaze.

"Morning."

Gajeel tried his hands and discovered that he was cuffed. Gray felt him reach for magic. "Binding. I suggest you sit down and get in a talkative mood."

"This is a joke, right?" Gajeel asked.

Gray put on his best stoic face. "I'm not laughing. Let's talk. If I like what you say, you won't go for a trip to the constabulary."

"To the constabulary? Is that your best threat?"

"For a man of your background, I'd say that's a pretty good one," Gray said.

Gajeel laughed. "Let me tell you something. If you bring me in, I'll just be out on the streets again. The record will be buried and you'll be silenced."

"Silenced? What is that, a threat?"

"A promise, kid. You don't know how the world works."

"Oh, no, I know," Gray said. "You're a criminal, wanted for a slew of drug charges, theft, and murder. If I bring you in, you'll sit in our jail cell until a prisoner transport comes, and then you'll go to the Magnolia Penitentiary where you'll carry out your life sentence, because that's what comes of men like you."

Gajeel scoffed. "It'll never fly."

"It absolutely will," Gray replied. "But… like I said, if our conversation goes well here, it doesn't have to end like that."

"You're trying to make a deal with me?"

Gray put on his best indifferent face and pretended that this didn't make him feel sick. "I need to know some information. Chief Heartfilia's daughter was taken by the Dragon's Den. She got free but was picked up again by someone in a black '51 Impala. I need to know if it ended up in the Garage last night."

Gajeel laughed. "That's what this is about? You're doing Heartfilia's dirty work, roughing up the roughs, digging in the dirty holes?"

"Answer the question," Gray said between gritted teeth. He wanted _certainty._

Gajeel shrugged. "Yeah, maybe I did see a car like that. But so what?"

"Who dropped it off?"

"Dunno, tall fellow, dark hair."

"A Den member?"

"One of their own I suspect," Gajeel agreed. "Now what, the Laws roust the Den, led by you, you save the girl, get a big promotion?"

"Something like that," Gray lied. "Tell me where they're hiding."

"Now _that_ I'm sure I don't know," Gajeel said.

He was lying and wasn't even trying to hide it. "We're not in the constabulary," Gray said, looking around. "We're in a barn, Mr. Redfox, and no one knows you're here, do they? I don't have any 'prisoner interrogation' protocols to uphold out here."

Gajeel's grin was all teeth. "Too bad you ain't got a good cop to complete the routine, eh?"

Gray took off his jacket and his hat and set down his gun, too, placing them all on the top of the cannel. "No one would stand up for the likes of you. You tried to throw Erza into a bog _and_ set a man on fire."

"You hurt my feelings, constable. I have plenty of friends. Friends all over. Friends that wouldn't want to see this mug too badly fucked up. Hell, I'm sure even your Chief might have something to say about it, that's how well I'm liked."

Hitting him the first time was easy. It felt good, _just,_ even if he was handcuffed. Gajeel took the blow less gracefully than he'd taken Erza's, his face bruised and swollen already. He stumbled back onto the hay bale and sat ungracefully, shiny black boots coming out before him, the bales at his back keeping him from tumbling over.

Gray shook out his hand and swung again. Gajeel got his hands up to block but he didn't have much vantage; Gray broke through his weak guard and set his nose to bleeding. Then he rocked back on his heels, stomach weighing heavy, and asked again, "Tell me where the Den has gone. Where are they hiding Lucy?"

Gajeel snorted blood from his nose. "Dunno."

Gray hit him too hard the last time, getting him in the temple. The ex-Dragon Den member went totally limp. The barn got silent.

"Fuck," Gray swore. Birds chirruped outside. Below their incessant, happy calls his house phone's ringer trilled. He listened to it go until it stopped. Silence ruled again. He tapped Gajeel's cheek. "Wake up."

The man didn't budge. Gray went for the bucket beside the tractor, thinking to fill it with water. That would get his attention. The phone started ringing again. A heavy feeling settled in his chest. He listened until it stopped, telling himself that he'd answer it if it went off again.

Quiet seconds passed. Then, distantly, the phone's ringer bled through the farm house's walls and into the early morning air. "Fuck sakes." Gray glanced one last time at Gajeel, making sure that he was still out. He was limper than a ragdoll and covered in blood. Gray grabbed his gun and went for the door, sliding it closed and locking it behind himself. He jogged to the house, ducking through cedar fences and racing over pot-holed paddocks to get there. By the time he got his key into the lock and got the house open, the phone had gone through two more calls.

It rang again from the maple stand in the living room. Gray's boots left dirt smears over the carpet, crossing to the red rotary. _If Mom were alive…_ She'd skin him, and for more reasons than the dirty carpet. The man getting roughed up in her barn, for one. Her son bringing a shotgun into the house, for two. Her son going against the law to protect his friend, for three.

 _Just answer the goddamn phone._

His palms were sweaty on the receiver. "Hello?"

A clear voice came through. "Gray, it's Mirajane. Chief Heartfilia requested that I—" The phone was torn away from her.

"Fulmen."

Gray had to swallow twice to get his voice to work. "Hey, Chief."

"You have a man in custody. Release him."

The bottom dropped out of Gray's stomach. "What? How do you know—"

"Your antics don't go unnoticed. Eve Tilm had quite a bit to say this morning. Release him now."

"Eve did?" _Eve saw Erza._ Gray's heart lurched hard, beating irregularly.

"Yes. Release him."

Gray struggled to keep up. "Sir, Gajeel Redfox is a killer. He—he was about to set Eve on fire when I interrupted." Just in case Eve didn't spill _who_ saved him from becoming barbeque. "He has a rap sheet a mile long. He's wanted—"

" _Release him now_ or you can turn your badge in."

"But, Sir—"

"I will say this _once,_ Fulmen." The man's voice shook. "There are things that are above your paygrade. Release that man and report to the constabulary for duty. We've had an incident and need every available officer."

Gray found himself bowing. "Yes, Sir."

The man hung up without saying goodbye. Gray let the dial tone scream in his ear for thirty seconds. Then he unglued himself and hung up the receiver.

Back out he went, leaving the door unlocked while he searched for his handcuff keys. _Are you really going to let him go_? He didn't see what other choice he had. _You could leave him here, tell the Chief that you did._ Oh, he was walking a fine line. "I'm going to get fired," Gray muttered, slipping beneath a cedar fencepost. "I'm going to get fired, Lucy's going to be roughed up by the Den, then she's going to be sold back to her pig of a father and—"

He trailed off, coming to the barn. The smell of burning was on the air. He didn't have to look far to see the cause. The lock he'd left in place was torn from the door, melted into a mangled piece of unrecognizable steel.

Gray's heart protested all of the shots of adrenaline it was receiving. He lifted his shotgun and pumped one of four rounds into the chamber, then carefully, slowly, nudged the door open with his toe just wide enough to peek inside. Gajeel was right where he'd left him, head rolled over on his shoulder, blood leaking down over his leather coat. The realization did very little to settle Gray's unease.

He listened hard, debating on letting his presence be known or go in secretly.

All he heard was silence.

Gray nudged the door a little wider, wishing more than anything that he was wearing his flak jacket. It was heavy, it was cumbersome, it was _hot_ and it didn't always stop bullets but it was better than tromping in to his barn unprotected.

A clanking noise from the back made his heart seize. _They're by the back door. Get in quick before they realize you're out here. You got the low light on your side. You know the barn. Get to the tractor, use it for cover._

Taking the first step inside was the hardest. He held his breath and kept his back to the wall for as long as he could, the shotgun barrel up as he scoured the place. The shadows played tricks on him. Too often, Gray found his finger itching at the trigger. Gajeel's loud out-of-the-mouth breathing because his nose was plugged was distracting.

 _Calm. Calm._ He caught himself about to kick the bucket and announce his position seconds before it happened. He came away from the wall, stepped around the offending bit of metal, and put the tractor at his back. From there, he skimmed his shoulders over the hard and biting frame to put himself against the far wall. It was as good of a place to make a stance as any.

Again, something on the opposite side of the barn, back where the stalls were, fell to the concrete floor. Gray took in a short breath and aimed his shotgun that way.

"That's called misdirection," said a voice from above. "It's a trick criminals use to get the jump on honest men."

Gray looked up into the barrel of a police-issued pistol. "Is that how you swiped that gun?" It took seconds for his eyes to focus, but when they did, Natsu Dragneel came out of the dark, sitting on the tractor's cracked leather seat.

He didn't smile, he didn't give a 'superior' speech. "I guess you could say that, yeah."

Leather brushing over leather let Gray know his grave mistake was deepening well before Gajeel showed at his side. The man grabbed the gun's barrel and yanked. Gray kept his grip on the metal, thinking he was incapable of letting it go.

Natsu took in a noisy breath. "I'm not having a real good day, Fullbuster. I have a stack of addresses for other constables that can answer my questions and not a lot of patience."

Gray loosened his hold on the gun. Gajeel took it away.

"Thanks." The butt of Natsu's gun hitting Gray in the bridge of the nose made him see double. Gajeel's fist crashing into his jaw brought him into blackness.

"Told you I had friends, Lawman."

* * *

Rogue was a sullen man, prone to long, brooding silences. He sat across from Lucy in a ratty armchair, head rested on his fist. Exhaustion poured out of his pores. Lucy waited for sleep to find him, yet every time he came close, he'd rise and begin to pace, just as he did now. It was frustrating.

"Is this an exterior wall?" Lucy asked, nodding to the concrete on the opposite side of the room.

The man fixed her with his dark and unsettling gaze. "What's it to you?"

"Just curious," she said then pressed her lips together. "It's cold in here is all. I was wondering if it was coming in from the outside."

Rogue looked away from her.

"Have you been a part of this gang for long?" Lucy asked, a little bit curious, a lot a bit bored. "Or did you just recently join?"

"Shut up and get some sleep."

"I'm not tired," Lucy lied.

"Must be nice," Rogue shot back.

They got quiet again, Rogue's feet scuffing over the concrete the only sound until Lucy tried, "If you let me go, I'll make sure you're compensated. You don't even have to do much, just look the other way."

Rogue didn't even give pause, except, of course, to put himself back in the armchair. The door opened and a blonde man came through.

"Hey, man."

"You're supposed to be watching the front, Sting," Rogue said.

"I know. I was falling asleep, though. Thought I'd bum a weed."

Rogue went through his pocket without taking his eyes off Lucy and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Here. You better get back out there before Zeref comes back and sees you're not where you're supposed to be."

"He's a real chum, isn't he?" Sting asked Lucy. His smile came easy but wasn't very kind.

Lucy smiled tightly.

Sting opened the pack, tore the tinfoil off the second half and threw it in the garbage. He paused, though, focusing on something inside. "What's this, love letters?" He pulled out a folded ivory page. Lucy followed his gaze as he traced the words.

"Gold necklace with a galaxy pendant, huh? Wonder how much that set the Chief back? Or maybe if he got it from Dander's Fine Jewelry, he got it for free. Dander… he's as crooked as an old man's back. He'd want to be on the Chief's good side. Which was it, Lucy?"

"What?" Lucy heard herself ask.

Sting waved the letter. "Says here your daddy bought you a gold necklace. Where is it?"

Lucy's tongue felt numb. "Where did you get that from?"

"You saw me pick it out of the trash. Let's see that gold. Something like that could fetch a good price if I find the right fence. Where is it?" Sting approached.

Rogue stood and caught the man's shoulder. "Hey, push off, eh? Zeref said to treat her nice."

"He didn't say anything about not taking her jewellery." Sting's blue eyes cut through Lucy, yet all she could do was focus on that letter, think about Natsu's words. She felt sick.

"The only thing she has is her keys, and Zeref said we don't touch those."

Sting sighed. "You're always following the rules."

"For now," Rogue agreed.

Sting dropped the letter back into the garbage and gave Rogue back his cigarettes. "Your goody-two-shoes is wearing off on me. I gotta get back." He left the way he came. Rogue settled in the chair again.

"Is that letter really mine?" Lucy asked.

He only looked at her.

Hot tears pressed Lucy's eyes. _Don't._ _Don't cry._ She channeled her tears into something useful. Anger. And patience.

Eventually, Rogue's eyes drooped closed again, and when they did, Lucy gathered every ounce of energy she had and tore Loke from the celestial realm. Rogue's eyes popped open again, surprise coming over his face. Surprise turned to panic as, without a word from Lucy, Loke let fire enough magical energy to pulverize the squat table beside the armchair and to send Rogue spinning end-over-end.

Lucy didn't wait to see if he got up. "The wall, Loke."

The spirit was already acting, gathering more magical energy. The concrete blew open haphazardly, confirming what Lucy thought—it was the outside just beyond that wall, the sound of the streets bled into the room. It took two attacks for a hole to open up wide enough that Lucy could slip through. Loke was on her heels, pushing her out into the bright, bright sunlight. Beyond was an alley filled to the brim with waste and glass and needles. Careful wasn't on Lucy's itinerary. She went left, saw water and the docks, and figured it was as good of a way to go as any.

She felt a drain on her magic and knew that Rogue was up again and fighting to get through Loke. Shadows at her feet took form and gained substance. She fell hard, scratching her knees. Determination made her rise again and scurry for the edge of the building.

 _Almost, almost_ , she thought. If she could just get across the road and to the docks, she'd be in an area that was public enough that the Den wouldn't dare attack her there. _and then?_ And then she could find a place to hole up for the rest of the day and move again in the dark, when she could find some clothes and a ride and she'd _get the hell out of town._

Guilt tried to crush her.

 _Don't. Don't think about Happy or your dad or Natsu and Zeref and your promise. It wasn't real, you were just acting._

Glass and concrete made way for filthy sidewalk. Lucy got two steps in—she was almost in the sunlight, back to civilization, when a person stepped around the building, moving just as quickly.

Natsu registered Lucy and what exactly she was doing out there well before she lined the pieces up. He grabbed her hard around the waist, stopping her mid-dodge, and pinned her back against the wall. Lucy hit so hard, she had no breath to scream or strength to push Natsu away. All of her fight really fled, though, when she saw a tall and dark haired man stepped out of a light yellow '52 Bel Air with his hand clamped around Gray Fullbuster's bicep. Gray stumbled, obviously disoriented. Some of that dopiness fell to the wayside when he saw her.

"Lucy." He fought to get out of his captor's hold and earned himself a solid punch in the jaw. His eyes rolled up; he stumbled and would have gone down, except the man had a firm hold on his arm.

Lucy tasted iron in her mouth. "Don't, please—"

Natsu held up his hand. "Ease off, Gajeel." To Lucy he said, "Send your spirit home. I don't want to have to take your keys."

Lucy couldn't see Loke, there was too much building in the way. She could _feel_ him, however, and he was dead set against her following that plan.

Natsu's gaze hardened. "If that's not enough to convince you, I'll turn what I had hoped to be a civil conversation into something nasty."

She looked into his dark eyes and believed him. "Close, Gate of the Lion."

Natsu relaxed his hold on her. "Thank you. Let's go in, eh? Maybe Kinana will be nice enough to make us some coffee."

"Natsu, please—"

"Like I told your friend there, Lucy, I've had a real shitty day and it's just started. Let's try to get it back on track." He pulled out a key from the pocket of his dark pants and tugged her in through an unmarked door at the back of the building.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're hurting me," Lucy said.

Despite his furiousness, Natsu eased his fingers back a very minuscule amount as he pulled Lucy inside the back door of the Dreg House into the long fluorescently lit hallway. The light made everything look green, the walls, the dusty concrete floor, Lucy's pale skin, Gray Fullbuster's bruised face. It really brought out the colour there, made those fist marks nice and bright.

Natsu had a hard time feeling sorry for him.

"Hey."

Natsu looked up just as the back door slammed closed behind Gajeel. Erik stepped out from one of the side hallways, a tall cup of steaming coffee in hand. "Didn't expect to see you back, Gajeel."

Gajeel grunted. "C'est la vie."

Erik smirked. "Thinks he's a fancy man now, huh? Hey, where's the boss?"

Natsu said a vague, "Busy."

"Busy doing what? I need to talk to him about something."

Erik was dogged _and_ pushy, Natsu could feel him trying to use his magic to pry. Too irritated to be diplomatic, he pulled out his gun and laid it against Erik's forehead; perhaps the most incriminating thing was the handcuff still dangling from his wrist, clacking off the gun's handgrip. "Busy. Like you're supposed to be. Get on the back door and watch it."

Lucy gasped, Erik reached up and flicked the handcuff, brazen to the last. "You're lying."

Natsu tugged down the gun's hammer, wondering what it would mean if everyone knew Zeref had been arrested.

Erik only smiled. "A liar and a cold-blooded killer. Are you going to shoot your best bud for asking some questions?"

"No, I'm going to shoot an asshole for being an asshole," Natsu said.

Erik grabbed the gun and pushed it harder into his skull, the smile on his face turning manic in the blink of an eye. "Go ahead, right here."

Natsu should have known Erik would meet force with lunatic nonchalance. He flexed his trigger finger, seeing how far the man would let it go.

"You can't shoot him," Lucy squawked.

A figure filled the end of the hallway. The light did very little for Kinana's skin, too, she looked like she had jaundice. "What's happening?"

Hearing her voice, Erik's ferocity dialed back. He turned and faced the girl. "You shouldn't be out here."

Natsu asked, "Is the coffee on, Kinana?"

He didn't think she'd answer him, she was quiet for so long. Then she said, "Please don't shoot him, Natsu."

"Is the coffee on, yes or no?"

"He'll be quiet," she said, still ignoring his question. "No one will hear from us."

"Hear what?" Gajeel asked.

Natsu ignored the other man's question in favour of studying the girl at the end of the hall; it was freaky the way she and Erik were so connected, listening to each other's thoughts.

Kinana said, "I'll get the coffee on, but please take your gun away now."

 _Be smart._ He might have been in jail, but Zeref was still very much a fixture in Natsu's mind. So what if Erik knew? Everyone was going to find out _eventually_ , and they were either going to turn their backs on the Den or they were going to stay and see this thing through to the end. Besides, they needed all the people they could get, they weren't very big to begin with and he didn't think Kinana or Wendy were about to start picking up guns. Maybe Juvia, and Carla, she was a tough-nut, but she'd already been shot once.

 _You could call Jellal._ And risk exposing themselves as weak if the man wasn't in much of a mood to be a chum.

No, he'd ride the wave for now.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Gajeel demanded.

Natsu put the hammer back in place and shoved the gun in the waistband of his pants. "Nothing. Get on the back door, Erik."

The man moved past without another word, going about as if their altercation had never happened.

"Thank you," Kinana said. "I'll get the coffee started." She disappeared back the way she came.

Footsteps coming down the hall heralded a bloody-mouthed Rogue. He looked properly shamed when he came around the corner and saw Natsu and Lucy. "There's a hole in the wall thanks to her spirit."

"Told you she was sly," Natsu said.

"Give her to me, I'll teach her to be more forthright," Rogue replied.

Lucy shuttered while Gray fought in Gajeel's hold, cussing.

Natsu looked at neither of them, making a good play at being thoughtful. Finally, he shook his head. "I need you to figure out how to patch up that hole—I don't want beggars thinking this is a good place to come."

Rogue took in a breath and let it out slowly. "Very well."

"You're all _horrible_ ," Lucy fumed.

Natsu didn't bother telling her it was a scare tactic. Rogue wasn't a monster unless Zeref asked him to be. He faced Gray. "I need handcuff keys."

"Why the _fuck_ would I help you?"

Natsu released Lucy and grabbed Gray from Gajeel's hold, pinning him against the wall. "You're not in much of a position to be contrary."

Gray looked on stubbornly. Gajeel rolled his eyes and grabbed for Gray's tool belt, finding the correct pocket on the first go and pulling out a small brass key. He had the handcuff off Natsu in seconds. Natsu took them from him, thinking they might come in handy, and felt the familiar roll of his magic. He smiled. Maybe not _everything_ was horrible.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Gajeel clapped him on the back. "If you're good, I have to let Laxus and Jellal know I haven't been strung up by the cops."

Natsu grabbed his shoulder before he could duck out and asked lowly, "What are the chances of you keeping this between us?"

"The boss is gonna want to know what happened," Gajeel replied.

Of course. Natsu hoped he didn't put two and two together, but Gajeel was smarter than he looked.

In confirmation, Gajeel asked, "Should I tell Jellal to expect a ring? Sounds like you might have to call in a few favours."

All of their favours were all used up with Jellal Fernandez, that last deal he gave them on those weapons took care of that. It wasn't good to be in Jellal's debt. Natsu shook his head. "Things are still going my way." Gajeel gave him a _'yeah fucking right,'_ look that went wholly unappreciated. Natsu didn't bother defending himself. Luck was three quarters _believing_ in the end result and he had his golden gooses in his hands. "Thanks for your help. Could you do one more thing for me and ditch the car?"

"Yeah, I'll leave it somewhere," Gajeel affirmed. To Gray he said, "See you around, Lawman."

Gray hadn't dropped his sour expression.

"You're going to be a mule, aren't you?" Natsu asked when the door closed, taking Gajeel into the morning air.

"Fuck yourself."

Hitting him in the face with his elbow would have been therapeutic for Natsu, even if it set Lucy to yelling and berating him while Gray slumped against the wall, but it did little for the spirit of cooperation. Natsu pushed the man back roughly, choosing the diplomatic route. "Tell him to cooperate, Lucy."

Lucy's strangled sob was the only answer he got.

"You think bullying her is going to help your cause?" Gray asked.

Natsu's smile was mean. " _Tell him_ or I'll move down the list of constables and find someone more willing to talk. I don't think I have to tell you what happens to him if I have to do that."

"Please, Gray," Lucy said finally.

"Lucy—"

She drew herself up. "He only wants to ask some questions. He's looking for someone. He says once he has them, he'll let me go."

"Yeah, for a price, back to your father," Gray said.

Natsu felt Lucy's hand on his shoulder; she came around, almost putting herself between he and the constable so there was very little space between their bodies. Her dark eyes dug into his, damp and scared, but also stubborn. "I know you stole my letters."

The breath left Natsu's lungs.

Lucy's lip quivered, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment when she got confirmation of her suspicions. "You know now. Will you send me back?"

"I don't want to, Lucy," Natsu heard himself say.

"That's not a no," Gray was sure to point out.

She said with certainty, "He'll do the right thing, Gray."

That hit Natsu like a kick to the balls; her faith really played havoc with his conviction to do whatever it took to get Happy and Zeref back. _They'll both come home, you don't need Heartfilia's money to do that. And you'll still know his secret, you can get the immunity you want._ He knew what Zeref would say—it's not enough, and he was inclined to agree, Heartfilia had taken a lot from the slums over the years. He _should_ have to pay, shouldn't he?

Rational and justice had never been more at odds.

 _You're in charge now… so do what you think you should._ The only problem was, he had _no idea_ what that entailed. Go with his heart, or Zeref's decree? His brother had kept them safe for years. Hearts had a penchant to lead people astray. _You still have time to decide. Just say whatever to get your answers._

"If my questions are answered and I find Happy, I'll buy your train ticket myself," Natsu said.

Lucy didn't smile. "There you have it. Please answer his questions, Gray."

Gray said, "Even if I believed that _crock of_ shit, I couldn't help you, I don't know anything."

Natsu put on a more comfortable guise. "Awe, don't be like that, you don't even know what I want to talk about." He slung his arm around Gray's shoulder and grabbed for Lucy again. "Coffee first."

* * *

Clutching her bright red ascot, Erza leaned against the back wall and listened to Chief Heartfilia interrogate their prisoner. It was shameless eaves dropping, she knew, but he'd denied her thrice already—first when she reported to him that they had unwelcomed guests. He didn't listen beyond 'Zeref Dragneel'. If he had, he would have _known_ that the younger brother was there as well and the officers would have been _prepared._

The second time was when she'd tried to rush in with the other men to arrest the brazen criminals (honestly, if she were allowed to be there, Natsu Dragneel _never_ would have escaped).

The third time was when she'd begged to be involved in the interrogation. He'd looked at her with his cold, hard eyes and said, "If you don't get out of my face, Miss Scarlet, you're never setting foot in this constabulary again. Women work the _phones,_ the _papers_ and the _phyllo_ , not the prisoners."

She could think of a P word _he_ could work. She still wanted a job, though, so she kept that to herself and nestled her back, clad in a white and blue flower printed halterneck-circle-dress, up against the brick wall behind reception. She _still_ wasn't close enough to hear so she dared to open the door _just a crack_ so the sound bled out.

"—I'll be willing to make a deal." That was Mr. Dragneel. Erza listened harder, really straining—her ploy wasn't as fool-proof as she thought, they were still far away and both men were making an effort to keep their voices low.

"A deal?" That was the Chief.

"This whole thing started when you took one of my people."

"Oh?"

 _Is that so,_ Erza thought, eating up the details.

"A kid. He has no legal name, at least, none that he remembers, but he goes by the name of Happy. He's dyed his hair blue. Ring any bells?"

It sure didn't to Erza, and she poured over the arrest files on a daily.

"And if I said yes?"

"I'd say, you give me Happy, I'll give you Lucy and we'll go our separate ways. Forget about the ransom. We'll settle it like gentlemen."

"Like gentlemen." Erza recognized the Chief's tone. She wished she could warn Zeref to give up before he wasted his breath anymore.

Zeref seemed able to navigate a conversation with stubborn men well enough. "I sense some skepticism."

"I am a gentleman, Clove here, he is, too. Even Crantz over there, though I know sometimes he trawls along the bottom with mouth breathers. You, Mr. Dragneel, you're not a gentleman. You're a parasite. You use up this town, you drain everything _good_ out of it."

"So you _don't_ want to make a deal? Your daughter could be home and in your bed again by midnight."

Noise out in the lobby prevented Erza from hearing what the Chief responded with. She closed her eyes and strived for patience when she thought about going out there and further bruising her knuckles—Gajeel Redfox had done a number on the bones, he had a tough face. _You'll get better, more used to it so next time, you won't have to rely on Gray's gun cracking him in the head._

The kerfuffle died back, allowing Erza to hear Chief Heartfilia say in a very low voice, "I don't typically negotiate."

"Me, neither, but I can see we're reasonable men."

"I will _consider_ your offer."

"I'd appreciate my guns back, and my boots, they're kinda special, my girl got them for me and—"

"What in the good hell are you talking about?"

" _Oh._ " Erza couldn't tell if Zeref was _actually_ surprised or if he was just putting on a good show. "I thought you understood, I'd have to be free to make the exchange, otherwise no deal."

There came a loud metallic bang, a grunt, the sound of flesh hitting flesh—a struggle, the gasps of a few of the other officers within the jail. It was over in seconds, allowing for the Chief's voice to be heard again. He sounded so, so cold. "Let's be realistic, Mr. Dragneel. Sooner or later, I'm going to find out where you're holing up, and when that happens, I'm going to go in there and I'm going to get my daughter back and I'm going to tell my men to gun down _every last member_ of your 'family.' That's what you call each other, right? Family? Or… the other option is, you call your brother and you tell him to release Lucy into my custody _today_ and he won't be killed."

Erza didn't think the Chief of Police _could_ be making those kinds of threats, but he certainly was.

Zeref seemed to believe him. "Where's the phone?"

* * *

Kinana always made a solid cup of coffee. While he sat at a stool in the Dreg House's _a-lot-to-be-desired_ kitchen, Natsu sucked back the rich dark liquid and wished for a) more sleep, and b) the ability to enjoy it spiked with a healthy amount of rye.

He was denied both, so he drank an entire cup, filled it up and started over again.

Lucy studied him from her spot leaning against the stainless steel counter beside the fridge. "I thought you wanted to talk, not drink coffee."

His glare didn't seem to have the same effect it usually did. Natsu endeavoured to do better next time. "Fine." He looked to Gray standing mulishly beside Lucy. "I'm looking for a kid Heartfilia arrested a few days ago." Not even that much time had passed, but Natsu felt like it had been _forever._ Maybe it was the lack of sleep talking. "His name's Happy. He's tall, sorta gangly, got blue hair—"

"He doesn't match the description of anyone in the constabulary jail," Gray said. "Maybe he got transferred to the penitentiary. "

Natsu shook his head. "Are you all _blind? Chief_ Heartfilia has been taking kids from the streets for _months._ And they don't end up in jail. He's doing something with them."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Gray asked.

Natsu threw his free hand up in the air. "Do I look like I know? Ask Princess Heartfilia there."

Lucy bristled. "I told you—"

"And you're _lying_ ," Natsu said.

Lucy pinched her lips together and crossed her arms. There was no masking the way her eyes shifted down and to the left, though. If there was anything Natsu knew, it was liars.

"Wow, manners really fucking elude you, eh?" Gray snapped.

"Look who's swearing in the lady's presence," Natsu sneered.

"Stop," Lucy intervened before Gray could think of something else scathing to demolish their already strenuous truce.

The phone on the wall beside the fridge shrilled. Looking over, Natsu briefly considered ignoring it. His gut told him to pick it up. He was glad a second later when he moved across the room and stole it from its cradle.

"Natsu." Zeref's words were a little slurred.

Natsu glanced at Lucy and Gray standing together like a united pair. "Yeah."

"Listen close. I want you to take Lucy Heartfilia to the clock tower for seven. Her father's going to meet you there with Happy. There won't be a money exchange but we can call a truce."

"Is that what he told you?" Natsu asked after a very brief but _vicious_ battle with excitement.

"Yeah, that's what he told me," Zeref agreed.

 _Be rational, not blind. Who is Chief Heartfilia?_ A righteous pig. Which lead Natsu to only one conclusion. "He's lying."

"We don't know that."

"I have a pretty fucking good idea," Natsu said gruffly. "We'll find another way."

" _Listen_ to me," Zeref pressed. "This has already gone _sideways_ , Natsu. Now's the time to negotiate."

Natsu clenched his jaw. "It doesn't _work_ for me."

"Natsu—"

He didn't want to hear it. "You're safe there?"

"What?"

"They treating you good?"

Zeref snorted. "Who gives a _fuck_?"

"That means no. Does Jude Heartfilia at least have the decency to rough you up himself?"

Lucy's gaze sharpened on him. Natsu met her eyes steadily.

Zeref said, "Listen, just do what I say—"

Natsu glanced at Gray Fullbuster, scheming ways to get his brother out of jail. "Not this time."

"Natsu—"

"Trust me, I'll pull through. Jude Heartfilia thinks he's winning, but he's only digging his grave," Natsu finished. He hung up before Zeref could dig into him any further and whittle away his already wavering resolve. It was impossible not to wonder _am I doing the right thing_?

"Your brother was arrested?" Gray asked in the silence.

"Something like that," Natsu agreed. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that it was on _purpose._ Why his brother was willingly sitting in the MPD's jail wasn't important, though. Getting him _out_ and finishing this up _was._ Natsu swallowed back the rest of his coffee and put on his best Zeref face, thinking he'd need it if he was planning on negotiating. "Here's the thing, Mr. Fullbuster," Just _saying_ that made his skin itch. People earned 'Mister.' Gray Fullbuster was nothing but a yellow-bellied pig as far as he knew. _One that went against his Chief to get Lucy out of Magnolia?_ He hated that _that_ was his measure point of Gray's integrity. _Moving on._ " _As_ I was saying. Jude Heartfilia has been taking kids off the streets for _months._ I don't know if he's acting alone or if he's got some cops working with him—"

"This is all lies," Gray said. "Chief Heartfilia wouldn't—"

"Please, Gray," Lucy interrupted. "He's—he's not lying about that."

"Lucy?"

She crossed her arms over her ample bosom and admitted, "People have been missing."

"Thought you didn't know anything about it?" Natsu said.

She had the decency to look ashamed. "Not much."

 _That_ was a lie, too. He let it slide. "The only thing I need from you is a list of warehouses or storage units, things like that, that he has you guys patrol."

Gray shoved his hands through his hair. "This is crazy you know that?"

"Yeah, I know," Natsu said.

"There are plenty of storage units and warehouses that we patrol. We have evidence stashes, supplies—"

"I'm not asking you to decide which are important," Natsu said. "I just need to know where they are."

"So you can bring your little criminal empire to them and hit the police a low-blow?" Gray asked. "You must think I'm out of my mind."

Stopping the fire that ignited his hands was an impossibility. Not burning Gray Fullbuster to less-than-bone was an impressive show of restraint. "I don't give a _fuck_ about that. I just want Happy back."

Lucy was turning out to be more of a help than Natsu planned. "Please help him, Gray."

"Suddenly you're feeling cooperative?" Natsu didn't know why he asked. Maybe he just couldn't help but push his luck.

"I want this to be over as much as you do," Lucy said. "I want to get on a train and never look back." She grabbed Gray's hand and looked at him in a way Natsu, very briefly, wished she'd look at him. "Just a list."

Gray scrubbed his hand through his hair again. He was weak, though, pliable to Lucy's demands. "This time, I take you out of town myself."

She smiled.

"I'm only buying your ticket," Natsu said defiantly, hoping to drive a spike through the moment and succeeding.

Gray untangled himself from Lucy. "If I give you these locations, you make sure none of the cops patrolling them get hurt."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Natsu fibbed adeptly. If it came to it, he'd cut through as many people as he needed.

"And," Gray added, "You tell your buddy Gajeel to forget about that girl last night. She didn't know what she was doing when she tangled up with him."

"Gajeel's a good guy." If he wasn't crossed. "I'm sure there's no hard feelings."

Gray was insistent. " _Tell_ him."

"Sure, friend," Natsu agreed.

Gray looked at him warily. Natsu smiled; it wasn't his most reassuring, but he was feeling kind of raw and full of adrenaline and intemperance. He was _close._ Happy would be home soon.

"Get a pen and paper."

* * *

Zeref slammed down the receiver and picked it up again. Just as he was spinning in the numbers, Chief Heartfilia depressed one sausage-like finger down on the switch hook, cutting off the call. Zeref looked at him exasperatedly. "I need one more call."

The man was immovable. "He gave you your answer, now it's time to do things my way."

"I'm sure I can get him to change his mind," Zeref insisted. "Just let me try."

"So he can hang up on you again? Don't be a fool, just tell me where to find them," the man said. "We can draw up a new agreement: your family won't be harmed any more than they have to be."

Zeref smiled. It felt raw, pulling roughly on his split lip and twanging his bruised face. "Any more than they have to be? They'll never let you walk in. You'd have to shoot each one of them dead and lose good men while doing it. Let me make the call."

Heartfilia wavered, then took his finger away from the phone. "Very well. Once more. Then we do things my way."

Zeref rang in the number. The phone was picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

Hearing that voice was always something special, but this time, there was no _time_ to appreciate it as he relayed, "It's hot in July."

The silence on the other end of the line let him know that he was understood. There came a dial tone. Heartfilia tore the receiver from his hand. "What the fuck does that mean? It's hot in July?"

"Don't worry, your message has been received loud and clear, Chief," Zeref said with a smile. "Now I'd like to return to my cell."

His wish was granted, but not before Jude tuned him up just a little more.

* * *

Natsu folded the paper marked with seven different warehouses and two storage units four times and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Now what?" Gray asked.

"Now… I need you to return to work," Natsu said.

Gray got a small, disbelieving smile on his mouth. "What?"

"You heard me," Natsu said. "I need you to get into the jail and let my brother free. Do that and when you and Lucy run off into the sunset, I'll make sure the Chief gives you a good reference."

"What?"

Natsu, disappointed that he didn't get a bigger response from the constable, said, "Zeref says you're a career man."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Gray couldn't hide his wariness.

Natsu smiled, feeling in control again. "Here's the thing, I know for a _fact_ that you helped Lucy here escape from her mansion. I keep my mouth shut about that, bully the chief when it comes time, you get an excellent job in a new city. Everything's kosher for you."

"I see," Gray said. "And if I don't want to break your brother out of jail?"

"I decide I'm a bastard and either I hunt you down and kill you or I let the chief know about your little faux pas and sit back to watch the shenanigans as he makes it so that no matter where you go or what you do, this stain on your record will follow. You won't be a cop in Magnolia or anywhere else for that matter."

Natsu knew he had him well before Gray did, going off the strained look on his face. He slammed the nail in the coffin, though. "You care about her, don't you?"

Gray followed Natsu's gaze to a scared looking Lucy.

"You want her to live the best life she can?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"You work hard to make a difference in the world," Natsu said, really pulling on Zeref's cunning. "There are only a few times you _really_ get that chance, though. This is one of those. You have reservations because you think I'm a crook—"

"I _know_ you've killed your fair share—"

"And I have reservations 'cause you're a cop. But you trust me a little, I'll trust you a little, and we'll help each other out."

Gray deflated some. "Let's say that's possible—I can't just _walk_ in and release a prisoner. I'd be _fired._ Then thrown in jail myself."

Natsu entertained beating him until he agreed. _Be smart._ "Figure it out."

Gray huffed. "I _can't._ "

"You can and you _will,"_ Natsu said, "Or you've used up your usefulness and you step into the realms of 'liability.' I don't think I have to tell you what happens to liabilities."

"Is this what you do, threaten people until they do your dirty work for you?"

Natsu shrugged. "Sometimes it's a solid tactic."

Gray didn't ask about the other times. "Fine. But if I can't get Zeref free, then what?"

"Then we go to plan B," Natsu said.

"And what's that?"

"Nothing you need to worry about right now," Natsu replied, mostly because he didn't know himself. He lifted his voice. "Juvia."

A door opened off the kitchen, revealing the blue haired girl tucked into a tight black dress. "Yes?"

"Show Constable Fullbuster out? And watch for the heat."

"Yes," she said faintly.

Gray hesitated, looking between Juvia, Natsu and Lucy. "I'll come back for you, Lucy."

Natsu had a hard time not rolling his eyes. He pushed Gray between the shoulders, breaking up the moment. "We'll come for you so you're not luring people back here. And hey, I don't have to tell you to keep your mouth shut about all of this, right?"

Gray looked to Lucy again.

"That's right," Natsu said in the silence. "You're only helping or hurting her."

"As long as she's safe, I'll be quiet." It looked like it caused Gray great pain to say that.

"Good. Glad we understand each other. Now hurry it up and get out of here."

Juvia took Gray's hand and pulled him out.

Natsu called, "Juvia, Don't hold back if he missteps."

"Yes," Juvia said again

And then there was quiet.

"I lied before," Lucy said into that silence.

Natsu glanced over at her. "What?"

"When I said that I'd stay here and help you find Happy. I lied. I wanted to get out of here, I didn't trust you to let me go, so I tried to escape."

"I kind of figured that after you left a hole in the wall, but thanks for your honesty, Lucy," Natsu said after a beat.

"I know." She fussed with a fold in the fabric of that thin, revealing nightgown. "I just want you to know now, I—I hope you find him—your friend. But I don't know how possible that's going to be."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

Lucy looked to the ground, at obvious war with herself. "Nothing."

"That's a bullshit lie. Tell me, Lucy."

She tightened her fingers. "It sounds crazy."

"Try me."

"I… I was in my father's study a few months ago, back around the time those people started going missing."

"Yeah," Natsu said, suddenly very eager for more.

"And I… I found a book he'd been reading. It was a _horrid_ one. Full of dark magic."

"What kind of dark magic?" Natsu pried when she paused.

"He'd been reading about how to restore life."

Natsu's gaze narrowed. "Was he?"

"Yes," she whispered. "He misses my mother. He'd do anything to get her back. Even this."

He didn't want to ask what came next. "Even this? What does that mean?"

She swiped at a tear. "I don't know."

Suddenly, everything seemed very, very urgent. "You're _lying_ , Lucy. Tell me."

"My father's a good man." Her words were airless, she didn't believe that anymore than Natsu did.

"Maybe he once was."

"Her death's twisted him, but I think he can get better."

Natsu grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him; he didn't remember getting close to her. "Tell me how he's going to try to bring her back."

"I think he's already tried."

Natsu had to strain to hear her.

Lucy admitted, "There was a notebook beside the tome. It had names and dates and other details about the people—the missing ones. I recognized some of them from the papers. Like—like if they had magic or not. It took him awhile to figure out because he's not very good at translating that book, he didn't have my spirit Crux like I did, but the spell he's been looking at—it said it requires someone with equal magic power to the person deceased. He's—he's been trying to find that person."

Natsu spat, "To do _what_ with?"

"A life for a life," Lucy replied.

Ears roaring, Natsu pinched her chin. "A life for a life."

"Yes."

All he could say was, "And you still think he's a good man?"

She really started to cry now. "You're hurting me."

He released her like she'd burned him and clenched his fist around his list of addresses. "Happy's _fine._ I'm going to find him and then I'm going to put a bullet in your father, Lucy, and he won't be able to hurt anyone else ever again."

She grabbed his wrist. "Please—"

" _Stop._ "

More tears filled her eyes.

"You're coming with me," Natsu said in the silence. "When we find the warehouse, you can see just what kind of man your father really is. I'll let you decide after if you want to put a bullet in him or if I should."

"I don't want to go," Lucy said finally.

And he didn't want her to, either, despite his brashness. Natsu's heart ached. "There are a lot of reasons why I wish I could grant you that, Lucy, but it is what it is. Come on, you can get changed first, then we'll go."

"I don't _want_ to." Lucy yanked out of his grip.

Natsu grabbed her again and held tighter this time. " _If_ you don't try to escape again, you're at risk of being picked up by the cops if Constable Fullbuster decides his loyalties don't lie with you. I think we both know why you don't want that."

Helplessness and shame opened up for anger. "You shouldn't have gone through my private letters."

"If you wanted to keep it a secret, you shouldn't have written it down," Natsu replied.

Lucy struggled with that as Natsu started pulling her back out of the kitchen towards Gajeel's room. In the hallway outside of the door she said, "He won't betray me. Gray. He won't tell my father where to find me."

All Natsu said was, "You'd be surprised what people will do."

* * *

"Okay, Erza," Mirajane called from the front desk. "I thought you were _sick?_ "

"I am," Erza agreed. In a way. She was sick after hearing what went on behind the door, she was sick wondering if Zeref Dragneel was going to die and she was sick wondering if she should _care_ or just look the other way like everyone else back there seemed to be.

"Then _go home."_ Mira said.

"I can't," Erza replied. "I have to talk to the Chief." Who the hell knew what she'd say?

Mira turned fully around in her chair, legs crossed and forest green dress tucked down around her knees, and looked at Erza plaintively. "Erza, sweetie, you'll get _fired_. He told you already today he didn't want to see you again."

"They're beating that man behind this door, Mirajane," Erza hissed lowly so no one else in the lobby could hear.

Mirajane pressed her pink lipsticked lips together, an expression that froze on her face when the door behind Erza burst open and a bloody knuckled Chief Heartfilia exited. "Mr. Heartfilia."

He didn't look at Mirajane, he only had eyes for Erza, and they were beady and full of impatience. "In my office, now."

"Yes, Sir," Erza said after a stunned second.

Mirajane stood. "Mr. Heartfilia, please, she just wanted to know before she left for the day if we could switch shifts tomorrow, she has a date and—"

"Shut up, Miss Strauss," he said glibly and moved past her.

Mirajane wilted like a flower. Erza glanced at her, appreciative for her efforts, before following the Chief to his office left of reception. She'd been in there once before when she was interviewing for the receptionist position two years before. It was disappointing how little her memory did the oak panelled room full of books and achievements and pictures justice. She'd been excited that day, and she barely remembered a thing—it was a wonder he hired her at all, she was tripping over her words so much. But he _had,_ and she took it as a sign that _this is what she was meant to do_. Yeah, there'd been some bumps—everyone put her in the 'receptionist' box and wanted to _keep_ her there, but she was _sure_ that with a little more of a _push_ she could get everyone—mainly Chief Heartfilia—to see that she could step out of that box into the 'constable' one and that she was well worth the trouble she'd caused.

He closed the door behind her. "Sit."

Erza promptly dropped herself into the chair across from his desk and folded her hands in her lap.

Chief Heartfilia put himself down in his chair and took a white handkerchief from his pocket. He soaked it with a flask in his desk that could have only been filled with vodka and used the dampened cloth to clean and sanitize his knuckles.

Erza tried not to stare, thinking _it's exactly as you thought, he was beating on Zeref Dragneel._

Chief Heartfilia said, "Mirajane said you were ill, but you're still here. Are you feeling better?"

Erza dug her short nails into her palm. "No, Sir, I'm still not feeling well." She lied now mostly to save face.

"I see. Was it your run in with Mr. Redfox that's made you so?"

The bottom dropped out of Erza's stomach. "Pardon?"

"I'm not a fool, Erza." He propped his chin on his split fists.

"Of course not, Sir," Erza said.

He nodded. "According to our Mr. Dragneel, his brother was here looking for the address of one of our constables."

"He was?"

"Yes, a Mr. Fullbuster. Whom, I might add, has yet to report for duty."

Erza's heart crashed against her ribs so hard she thought it'd burst through. "He hasn't?"

"No." He stood and came behind her, laying his hands on his shoulders. "I have men looking for him. But don't fret, I have reason to believe he'll turn up, and it'll be alive. The Dragon's Den is ruthless, but they've also been operating beneath a pragmatic leader. They'll want my daughter's cooperation and she won't feel much like cooperating if Mr. Fullbuster is killed. The coming issue, however, is going to be how receptive he is to my interrogation."

"Why would you say that?" Erza asked. "Gray Fullbuster is a good man. He loves his job at the constabulary, of course he'd want to help."

"Not so long as they're holding Lucy hostage," he replied. "I think he'd do a great deal to keep her safe. As any respectable man would."

Erza gnawed her lip hard, so worried she felt sick. _I shouldn't have left him this morning. I shouldn't have_ waited _to listen to the Chief's interrogation._ She told herself to breathe calmly. "Maybe Gray's not captured by the Dragon's Den. Maybe he'll report for duty. He might have got caught up or—"

"A reliable source tells me he's been brought in by Natsu Dragneel, who's taken control in Zeref's absence."

She squished her temples between her palms. "This is all my fault."

He didn't deny her, which only made Erza's misery worse. "You have a chance to rectify this."

She turned her face up and met his eyes. "How?"

"As I said, I'm almost positive Gray Fullbuster will be released. When he is, I need you to do something very, very important."

"What is it?"

"You need to get from him everything he knows about the Dragon's Den. About where they've taken refuge, their members, everything relevant."

"If he's trying to protect Lucy, he won't tell me," Erza disagreed, thinking about sitting in that Tudor with Gajeel Redfox in the back and Lucy Heartfilia's secret unuttered between them.

"He will fold, Erza, believe you me."

"How can you be so certain?"

He squeezed her shoulders. "Because women have their charms, Miss Scarlet, and if used correctly, I know Gray Fullbuster will bend to yours."

Erza blinked, processing his words. "What are you saying?"

"I think you know."

Erza stared at the sunflower painting over the Chief's desk, completely unable to respond.

He sweetened the deal. "I will give serious consideration to your application for constable."

"You will?"

He gathered her hair up and pushed it over her shoulder. Goose bumps raised on Erza's skin as he said, "You have my word."

* * *

Hi,

In a few days' time, there will be a weird little Gruvia one-shot provided for your reading pleasure by SleeplessComplication. It, of course, will be dark and twisty and full of angst and guns and passion. You know, if that's something you're in to.


	15. Chapter 15

"What did the Chief say?" Mirajane asked as Erza stepped out of his office and came for the reception desk.

"Not much," she dodged.

"Not much?" Mira repeated.

 _'He will fold, Erza, believe you me.'_ Erza pressed her lips together and shook her head. "No."

Mira wasn't sold. She studied Erza hard. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." Just reeling a little. She didn't know whether to celebrate or cry. Cry, she decided in the next second as one of the double front doors opened and Gray Fullbuster entered. He looked worse for wear, his face bruised, blood crusted in the corner of his mouth, clothes disheveled.

He barely looked at Erza when he entered or anyone else for that matter, going straight for the jail behind the reception desk.

' _You need to get from him everything he knows about the Dragon's Den._ ' And then she could be a constable. "Gray…" Erza trailed off, not sure what else to say or if she could even say it.

Mirajane didn't have any problems. "What the heck happened? I called you in hours ago and you never showed up. Is everything alright?"

Gray grinded to a halt. "I ah... there was a deer. I put the Chevy in the ditch."

"Oh god." Mirajane stood and went to him, grabbing his dark jacket and preening over him like a mother hen. "You poor thing. Are you hurt? You look pretty beat up." She touched his face and brushed back his hair, all the things Erza told herself she should be doing, but she was just standing there.

Gray brushed Mirajane's hands aside. "I'm fine, Mirajane, really, but I really have to get to work. Prisoner inventory, questioning, you know."

Numbly, Erza watched the Chief's door open. Chief Heartfilia poked his head out into the hall. His face lines looked deeper in the light that dared eke in through the constabulary's vault windows. He found Gray in seconds.

"Fullbuster."

Gray snapped to attention, straightening his back and clamping his hands to his side. "Yes, Sir. Sorry I'm late, had a small accident—"

"I heard," the man said. He shared a look with Erza. "The walls are thin. Take the rest of the day off, go home, rest up."

"Sir?"

He tapped the doorjamb quick with his large hand as if the thought just dawned on him. "Miss Scarlet will give you a drive if your truck needs repair. She's taking the rest of the day off as well."

Erza almost said ' _I will_?' She rolled along with it last-minute. "Yes. I was on my way out as well. I'd be happy to drive you back."

Gray looked like he was in the midst of a melt-down, a state that didn't diminish when Erza went to him and pushed Mirajane out of the way so she could take his hand. She did what she could to not look to Chief Heartfilia for approval, though she saw out of the corner of her eye that he gave a minuscule nod. Erza's heart pitter pattered with excitement and distaste and another emotion she was reluctant to put name to.

"This way, Gray."

"Really," Gray said, "I'm _fine,_ I really just want to get to work and—"

"Nonsense," the Chief said.

Erza pulled him out of the building before he could voice another protest. Gray moved like the dead, stiff and slow, so out of it that he tripped coming off the curb just steps from Erza's sky blue Beetle. Erza caught him.

"Is your leg hurting?"

Gray stood on his own. "It's fine."

Erza gave him a no nonsense look. He shrugged. "It's nothing, Erza, but I _really_ have to get back to work, you don't understand—"

"Get in the car," she said forcefully. "Chief doesn't want you in today, so _take the day_." She feigned ignorance. "We can go back and question our baddy—"

"He's gone," Gray said.

She searched his eyes. She'd never seen him more frustrated, like a rat in a cage. "Tell me about it in the car." Erza pulled her keys from her dress pocket and unlocked the door. Then, in an effort to be sweet and caring, using the charms that the Chief seemed to think that she had, she guided him around the back of the car to the passenger's side.

"Erza, you _really_ shouldn't be involved now." Gray pulled out of her grasp. "Things are complicated and dangerous and—"

"And not for women?" she asked dryly.

He let his sigh come from his nose.

She could punch him. _Should._ She touched his cheek gently. He needed to shave and his skin was hot. She knew for a fact that those constable jackets didn't allow for much comfort. _You just have to do one thing and you won't have to hide anymore. You can be the first woman constable in Magnolia._ She softened her voice. "Please get in the car, Gray, let me take you home."

The most amazing thing was that he did.

* * *

Gray watched the world whirl past in a green and brown blur as the city innards opened up for countryside. Cow fences took the place of sidewalks, forest replaced Magnolia's dank grey industrial. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass and tried to _think._ He knew it wasn't going to be easy breaking Zeref Dragneel out of jail, but holy hell, he didn't even get _in_ to see how hard it was going to be.

"You look worried."

Gray turned his face just slightly to glance at Erza. He didn't respond, because really, what was there to say? Lucy was depending upon him and he kept failing every step of the way.

"You didn't really put your truck in the ditch, did you?" Erza asked.

"Don't know why you'd say that, do I look like a liar?"

She said, "Gray, we're almost at your house and I haven't seen any marks in the shoulder. You told me Gajeel Redfox is gone, and someone's been wailing on you. Now, I think that someone was our prisoner. I know you don't think much of my detective skills, but I guarantee they're good enough to put that together."

He touched his sensitive jaw. "Did you see Zeref Dragneel?"

She took her eyes off the road long enough to look at him suspiciously. "Briefly, as the Chief dragged his ass into a jail cell."

"Do you know who's on him?"

"There's a lot of men back there," Erza said. "Six of them. Why?"

Six guys for one criminal. But it wasn't just _any_ criminal. Zeref Dragneel had evaded capture for a long, long time. _And then he suddenly slips up and sneaks into the constabulary?_ Gray's only conclusion was that either he was being careless, which didn't really sound like their guy or he was playing an angle.

Just… _what_ though?

 _Maybe you're overthinking it._ It wasn't inconceivable to think he was just trying to cover for his hotheaded brother. His brother who seemed to be making his own fair share of mistakes lately. And it was easy to see why. Natsu Dragneel looked at Lucy for too long in a way that was unmistakable. _And you left her there._ What was he _supposed_ to do, though? He had no gun, no backup.

 _Fuck._ What a mess.

The car slowed. Gray pulled himself out of his reverie and looked up at the farm. Erza pulled into the long driveway and went slow around the potholes.

 _This place isn't safe,_ Gray thought. A whole slew of criminals knew where he lived now. He wanted to tell Erza to turn back around but wondered what it would mean for Lucy if the Den came looking for him and he wasn't at the constabulary or at his home.

"How did he get away?" Erza asked in the silence.

"Hm?"

"Mr. Redfox. How did he escape?"

Gray wondered if he could tell her Chief Heartfilia _told_ him to let Mr. Redfox go. _Maybe not._ He didn't understand it himself. _It could be that he was illegally arrested._ Yes, there was that. _It could be that he was part of a bigger investigation and taking him out would put it in jeopardy._ That was a possibility, too.

Or the Chief of Police really just _wasn't_ the man Gray thought him to be.

"Gray?"

 _Right._ He twisted the truth. "When the Chief called. I—I went into the house to answer the phone. Gajeel must have woken up while I was gone. I came back and he got the jump on me."

"Then what?" Erza asked.

"We fought, I lost—" Damn, he hated saying that. What did Erza think hearing that? _Doesn't matter._ "Then I laid in the barn for a few hours, Erza, dead to the world." He bit off his words sharply.

Erza clenched her hands on the steering wheel. "That's it?"

"That's all."

"I know you're not being entirely truthful."

How could he deny her?

"Tell me what really happened."

Gray made a career out of staring at the outside world. Erza reached over and grabbed his hand. Her skin was warm and soft aside from the few callouses she'd built up doing all the things she wasn't supposed to be doing. "Gray, I told you I wanted to be involved and you agreed."

Yeah, he knew what he said. "Things have changed since then. You need to stay out of it." He thought she'd get mad. She took her hand away and got quiet, which was perhaps worse. She drove her car all the way to the front door and put it into park.

She had the dignity not to point out that his truck was in perfect condition, parked beside the barn as it was.

"Thanks for the ride," Gray said. He got out without waiting for her response and lumbered up the unkempt walkway. Really, he mused, he should spend more time taking care of the house, his mother would have a fit if she could see how he was neglecting it—the grass too long, the gardens she'd spent hours mulling over almost choked out by weeds. It was hard, though, to be a 'career man' (yeah, that was delivered in Natsu's snide voice) and still do all the things around here, especially when he didn't have anyone to do it _for._ A wife to come home to would make such menial tasks seem more important.

He could almost _feel_ his mother's scowl. _Maybe one day, Mom._

There was awhile where he thought it would be Lucy waiting for him at the front door after a shitty day's work. Her father had put an end to that with a few well-timed and well thought out words as soon as Gray entered the police academy—she'd already spent most of her life wondering if her father would come home. Should she have to worry about that with a husband, too?

 _Maybe he was right_ , Gray mused as he lurched along with his aching leg. The job was dangerous. Too often, loved ones got involved where they shouldn't, used as leverage to make people hurt. _Like in this feud with the Dragon's Den._ Lucy deserved better than to be treated like a pawn in some old war. Anyone did.

Gray pushed into his home and went straight for the country-style kitchen, looking through the cupboards for some aspirin to ease the pounding between his ears. He made it all the way to the sink with a cup in hand, three pills in his mouth, before he realized Erza had followed him inside. She'd taken off her shoes when he hadn't, a pair of skin-coloured nylons covering her red painted toes. That nail polish had fared better than that on her fingers, a little chipped but not flaking off. She leaned her back against his laminate counter and pressed her palms into the countertop behind her back. She was hard to look away from.

The aspirin melting on his tongue, leaving behind an acrid flavour, fixed that. He filled up his cup and swallowed the pills back.

"Your floor is dirty," Erza said, watching him like a hawk.

Gray didn't think he'd be as embarrassed as he was. "Don't have much time for cleaning."

"My place is a mess, too," she said.

Her attempt at making him feel better left a lot to be desired.

Erza fingered the hem of her dress. "Do you want me to help you with your leg now?"

"No, thanks. I got work to do, actually." Maybe he could break through the constabulary wall from the outside instead of going in? That would leave behind magic residue and the Chief would know he was involved, but maybe that didn't matter. If Natsu Dragneel held up his end of the bargain and bullied the Chief, Gray _could_ get his references and get a job in a new city.

 _It could work._

And it could not.

But most importantly, it _could._

He spied his truck keys on the counter behind Erza. She followed his line of sight. She slid her hand over the counter and flexed her bruised knuckles, gathering the keys up. Gray closed the space between them and attempted to pluck them from her hands. Her grip was firm, unyielding.

She searched his eyes. "You're trying to go back to the constabulary. What's so important there?"

He tugged again. "You wouldn't understand, Erza."

"I would if you let me."

Of course she would, she was smart and cunning and righteous. Too righteous sometimes. He could clearly imagine her understanding _why_ he was about to release one of the most high-profile criminals the constabulary had ever seen, but would she agree and let him do what needed to be done?

She seemed to gather some sort of resolve and touched his cheek with her free hand. Gray was paralyzed the instant she made contact, frozen in place by the gentle brush of her fingers skimming over his cheekbone. It was like when she'd touched him in the parking lot, but this time, the intimacy was so much _more_ without the sun blazing down on them, birds screaming a summer's song, Magnolia's main drag loud with cars and people. He thought the moment would pass, she'd shuffle along in that eternal, oblivious way she had to the way he saw her.

Not this time.

This time she stood on tiptoe and met his mouth in a kiss that was unexpected and debilitating. It was over too soon. She pulled back and whispered between their mouths, "I want you to trust me."

Gray wanted to kiss her again. And did.

* * *

With his back to Lucy while she changed, Natsu studied Rogue's handiwork. The shadow wall wasn't perfect, like he thought. It was a black hole in a grimy building. Anyone looking closely could see it for what it was. Their only saving grace was that there were very few people that dared down this alley; most knew it belonged to the Den and didn't want to get involved in any kind of turf war. The _bad_ bit was, anyone brazen enough to try to take advantage of that weak guise was likely powerful enough to really make a good play for it.

 _What would Zeref do?_ Yeah, what _would_ Zeref do?

The logical thing.

Their hideout was compromised. There was a hole in the wall and a constable on the loose that knew where they were because Natsu _wasn't_ prepared when he dragged Gray Fullbuster back to the Den. He hadn't _planned_ on going there right away and thus, he didn't _think_ of things like putting a sack over the man's head so he didn't know just where they were. He didn't really plan on dragging him in when the sun was over the horizon either.

The sound of a zipper being tugged up was good enough for Natsu. He turned back to look at his captive. She'd chosen a yellow dress to wear today, one with a black waistband and a gently sloping neckline. Like the other garments she'd thrown haphazardly into her travel bag, this one was a little tight around her bust. Maybe it used to fit better, but that was when she was smaller. Natsu wasn't totally sad for it, it made what had been a very decent, ladylike dress into something that exposed too much, too much bust, too much waist, too much leg. She reached for her heels, black things that were quite clearly very, very fine. If only that one heel wasn't broken.

She put them on her feet anyway without complaint and took an uneven step toward him. "I'm ready."

He almost laughed in her face. She looked like a doll that had taken one too many spins through the drier. She had 'sore thumb' written all over her. He went to her and got on his knees, tapping her foot. "Give."

"Why?" she asked warily.

Natsu lifted his gaze, looking up the line of her body. She was uncertain, and could he blame her? Being this close to her, there were a lot of unsavory things going through his mind, things that would make a good girl like Lucy Heartfilia flush and stammer. Hell, _he_ was getting hot under the collar. "Just give me your foot." He grabbed her leg without waiting for permission and brought it up. The last time they'd been in this position, she'd tried to kick him and he'd almost burned through her skin. Now she caught her breath and waited, teetering. Natsu took one of her hands and put it on his shoulder so she didn't fall over. She didn't pull back; she didn't really tighten her hold either, she just kind of rested there, at a loss, waiting, waiting for him to do something she didn't like.

Thinking of what that might entail was distracting.

 _Focus._

Natsu let his hands drop down her leg toward her ankle. Her skin wasn't as smooth as it had been days ago when he'd first stolen her from her bed; he didn't care all that much, she was still warm, touching her still seemed to make him stupid. She trembled beneath his hands as she had when he'd searched her for celestial keys. There was no cussing, though.

 _Focus._

Natsu grabbed her foot and held her tight and snapped off the heel of her shoe in one smooth motion, attempting to shatter the intimacy of the moment, perceived or otherwise.

 _"Oh."_ She finally tightened her hand on his shoulder and let the other one join, too, bringing them closer together—exactly what he hadn't planned for. She didn't step back immediately, either. She looked between her arms and studied his handiwork. Natsu prepared himself for her to yell; shoes like that weren't free. She softened. "Thank you."

Natsu released her foot and waited for her to stand on her own, so very, very thankful when there was a little bit of space between them. "There, now you won't look like a limping dog."

The goodwill Lucy had been looking at him with evaporated in a hot wash of disbelief. "Like a dog?"

"It's a figure of speech." He stood and straightened the black T-shirt he'd tugged on in place of the cop's uniform he'd been wearing earlier, tucking the hem back into his pants, then he grabbed the leather jacket he'd swiped off the stool in the kitchen earlier. It was the only thing he owned that had been his for his entire life. Zeref had bought it for him for his twentieth birthday. It fit like a glove. The leather's smell came into his nose, battling out Lucy's piquant scent. Everything seemed so much more… achievable with his jacket on his shoulders, his leather work boots on his feet, tied up tight. This is what he wore to get shit done, and shit was definitely going to get done. He smoothed his hair back from his face, using his fingers to keep it in place.

"Ready?"

The reality of the situation seemed to come back to her. "No," she said, contrary once more.

"Well, you better be, Lucy. I don't think I have to tell you what's on the line if you blow our cover, do I?" Natsu asked.

"People will recognize me in the street," Lucy said. "It's the middle of the day."

He took her hand in his without asking and pulled her along. It took her some time to figure out how to walk in her heel-less shoes. By the time she had that down pat, they were out in the hall and she had questions primed.

"Where are we going?"

"Carla's going to help you out," he said, coming up on the girl in question's door. He knocked briskly. Carla didn't make him wait, she was good like that, even though when she answered, she was half put together, her hair pinned elaborately on one side, lipstick only on her bottom lip. Her dark lashes were extra long today, curled out and framing her blue eyes.

" _Yes_?"

"I need you to make Lucy street worthy," Natsu said.

Carla looked her over. "She looks well enough to me."

"People are going to look at her and know," Natsu replied. "The whole city's looking for this face." He pinched Lucy's chin between his thumb and forefinger, unable to help himself, and shook her head gently, earning himself a name he didn't think Lucy knew. He let her go before she could figure out what to do—hit him or cuss some more.

Carla pursed her lips, considering. "Alright," she said finally. "I have an idea, but it's not foolproof." She loosened the door, allowing it to open wide. Inside looked more like a movie star's trailer with its huge vanity, complete with luminescent bulbs and stuffed stool. The only thing that really gave it away was the concrete floors and the shitty single cot in the corner. Hanging off one side of the vanity was a black scarf. Carla grabbed it and brought it back. She tucked Lucy's hair up beneath it without permission, working quickly and expertly like Natsu knew she would. When she was done, she reached for a pair of black polka dot cat-eye Ray-Ban's with tint so dark, Lucy's eyes couldn't be seen through the lenses.

"Put them on and let me look at you," Carla demanded.

Lucy did what she asked. Carla flitted around her, tucking her hair in here and there. "If you really wanted to blend in good, you'd let me dye your hair. I've got some bleach; we'll go platinum—"

"We don't have time for that, this is fine," Natsu said. That and, he didn't think he'd like to see those sunny gold locks go.

Lucy looked relieved. "I'll keep my hair covered."

Carla tucked an errant lock in once more and glanced at Natsu from beneath her lashes. "And you?"

"What about me?"

"You think people won't recognize that mop?"

Natsu pushed back his hair again. "I'm fine."

Carla shook her head. "Here." She went back to her vanity and grabbed a leather cap reminiscent of a constable's off one of the hooks. Natsu recognized it immediately as Happy's. "It'll hide your hair."

Natsu took it carefully and put it on his head. The leather was well worn, faded in some spots, and well loved. Happy wore it almost day in and day out. It smelled mostly like Carla now and less like Happy, but the kid's scent still lingered.

"So," Carla asked. "Do I get to know where you're going?"

"To get Happy back," he said with conviction.

"It's been quiet without him," Carla replied. It was the closest she'd come to admitting she missed him.

"I'm taking Erik, Wendy, Sting and Rogue, I'm going to need their help checking these places out, but I need you to get everyone else together," Natsu told her. "Bring them to Bristol. Hole up there until we get back, alright?"

"Bristol? What's Zeref think of that?" she asked.

"Zeref isn't here right now," Natsu replied. "Just do it, Carla, no questions, please," he said before she _could_ start a volley.

"What if Jellal shows up?"

They'd traded the factory on Bristol to him years ago to help pay for a gun deal; it was still abandoned as far as Natsu knew. The man was sitting on it, patiently waiting for the real estate market to turn in his favour. "He won't."

"It's his," she said. "He might."

"Then do whatever you need to," he told her. "You're cute, figure it out."

Carla bristled. "Cute, yeah, but I'm not a whore."

"No one's asking you to be, doll, but if your smile is the difference between having a friend or a bullet between the eyes, best be smiling real pretty," Natsu said roughly.

"Things aren't going good for us, are they?" Carla was perceptive.

Natsu clenched his jaw. "They're fine. Get everyone together, I fucked up with the cop, that's all. I don't think he'll betray us, but best be sure, right? I told Zeref I'd keep everyone safe, so help me do my job." Lucy harrumphed beside him. Natsu ignored her and whatever snide thing she was thinking but was smart enough not to say. "Come on, Carla. I know you care about this family like I do. Just take them over for me. Make sure we're set up and ready for anything that comes our way."

"It feels like we're running," she said.

"For now, yeah, but when I'm through today, we won't be running ever again. Everything's going to be different."

More than half of the battle was believing.

* * *

Zeref tongued the sore in his mouth. It had been a long time since someone had knocked him around so good. It wasn't something he was particularly fond of, being tossed around by a pudgy old man with a bad attitude and hard fists, though he knew it hadn't been a fair fight. If it had, things would have gone very differently. Perhaps. He wasn't the Chief of Police for _nothing,_ after all.

He dug his back into the wall and considered his predicament. It had been _hours_ since he'd made his call. Hours and hours. And his contingency plan _hadn't made an appearance._ Getting picked up by the cops in order to make a trade with Jude Heartfilia in a public place where he'd feel less inclined to put a bullet through his head had seemed like a good, solid idea when Zeref schemed it. He had a backup plan if the chief was feeling less than cooperative, but it didn't fucking work when his back up plan was conveniently _absent._

One of the cops watching his cell pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.

"Hey," Zeref dared, catching the man's eye as he flicked his lighter and ignited the cherry. "Can I snag a weed?"

The cop asked, "What do you think the Chief would say if he saw me giving you a cigarette, Mr. Dragneel?"

"The Chief's a kind guy, ain't he?" Zeref asked. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

The cop took in a huge drag and blew out a long line of grey smoke. "The answer's no."

 _Huh._ "Alright. Sure thing, Daddy-o." He went back to staring at the cell wall. Someone had managed to sneak a sharpie in there and drew up a bad rendition of Johnny Cash's _Folsom Prison Blues_. The lyrics were more wrong than right; Zeref read them all, though, and at the end of it, the song was stuck in his head.

"Got a radio?"

"Not for prisoners," the cop with the cigarette said brusquely.

Zeref played with the chain of his cuffs. "Anyone ever told you you're an asshole?"

The other constables snickered. The cop in question came up to the cell and peered in, a mean look on his face. "What's that?"

"Asshole," Zeref said slowly and spelled it out for him. "A shitty puckered sphincter not good for much. Sometimes fucking, I guess, but I doubt anyone would want to put it in yours. Might make you a little happier, though. You should really try to find that special someone—"

The man shoved his hand through the bars and grabbed Zeref by the collar of his stolen police uniform, yanking him up and against the bars so hard that Zeref's lip started to bleed again.

"I don't think regular prisoner rules apply to you, Mr. Dragneel," the cop hissed. He took his cigarette and attempted to lay the burning end against Zeref's cheek. Zeref gathered the blood on his tongue and spat, spraying the man in blood and spittle.

"You cocksucker."

The prison's door opened.

" _Oh."_

All eyes turned toward that voice; the cigarette smoke coiling up against Zeref's cheek got into his eye and burned; it watered. It didn't make the sight of her any less sweet.

"Mr. Crantz," said the woman at her side. _Mirajane Strauss,_ if Zeref remembered correctly.

"Get out, Mirajane. This is nothing a lady should see."

Mirajane didn't move. "This is Miss. Aguria, Mr. Dragneel's lawyer's assistant. _"_ She looked _horrified_ and threw around titles to try to get the men back in line.

Crantz wasn't biting. At least, not as hard as she'd like. "Lawyer? This skeeze couldn't afford—"

Angel came more properly into the jail, brushing by Mirajane like she was a fly on the wall. "I assure you, Mr. Crantz, Mr. Dragneel does have a lawyer on retainer, and if you do not release our client, I will put this in the file, alongside your ruthless beating."

"Ruthless—"

"Did he bruise his face himself?" She was a cool customer in her tight blue and white checkered pencil skirt and blue Lilli Ann blazer.

Mirajane spoke up again. "Mr. Crantz, release Mr. Dragneel this _instant_."

He wasn't budging. Angel—bless her—dug through her purse and pulled out a silver and black camera. She had it up and aimed before Crantz thought to release Zeref. "Smart, Mr. Crantz. Wouldn't want the tabloids to get a hold of that shot," she said with a wink of her mascaraed eye.

Just because he could, and maybe to save face in front of the woman he sometimes thought he could be in love with, Zeref reached through the bars, twisting his hands to get by, and snatched the cigarette from the man's limp fingers. "Thanks, Constable. Really kind of you."

Crantz swiped at Zeref with a growl on his tongue.

" _Mr. Crantz_ ," Mirajane squawked. The man came to attention at Mirajane's harsh bark. The woman said, "Miss Aguria needs a moment alone with Mr. Buchanan's client."

"Mirajane, everyone on the force knows that Buchanan's a crook. He's a lawyer, sure, but he also owns a brothel—"

"That's _slanderous_ ," Angel said, laying on the right amount of outrage.

Mirajane looked like she was going to have a meltdown.

Angel kept going. "You can say that horrific stuff all you like, but when it comes down to it, until you have proof, Mr. Buchanan is still an active lawyer, which means his clients have rights, Mr. Crantz." She came further into the room. "If you would like to challenge those, by all means. However, in the meantime, I am perfectly within my right to speak with Mr. Dragneel in Mr. Buchanan's stead in a legal capacity. I insist you leave."

Angel was born to act. Zeref ate up every moment of it. Crantz huffed. Mirajane scowled, the other constables were already on their way out. Soon enough, Crantz was, too. The door closed behind them. Zeref dragged on his stolen cigarette. "Angel, baby, I thought you forgot about me. It's been _hours._ "

She stood stiffly, staring at him within his cell, giving him the silent treatment. In the quiet, he heard a voice out in the lobby he thought was familiar. It was gone as soon as he focused on it, slipping into a room or into the outside before he could make a positive ID. _Get out and you can look for yourself._

"Come on, Angel, you're not still mad, are you?" Zeref asked.

"Yeah, maybe I am," Angel said, dropping the assistant act. "You were rude to me last night."

"I was under a lot of pressure."

"Doesn't mean you had any right. There are a lot of men that would like to have me, you know?"

He knew. He also knew that there were better times to have this conversation. "I didn't invite you here to have a lover's quarrel." Maybe he was always saying the wrong thing because her face got dark.

"Fuck yourself." She started away. "Figure something else out."

Zeref thought she was putting on a show. He let her go. and go. and go. The door handle was in her hand before he realized she was serious. "Angel. Angel, wait. Come back."

"No. Goodbye, Mr. Dragneel," she sneered.

"Come on. _Please_." He reached for her in vain. "You know I didn't mean that stuff earlier. I wanted you to stay, but Natsu—he's been fucking crazy lately. I just needed to deal with him."

"You expect me to believe that crap?" she asked. And yet, she _had_ turned to look at him.

"Come on. You know you're my favorite girl."

"Yeah? Then why were you looking at that other one?" she said.

Zeref screwed up his face. "Which?"

"Lucy Heartfilia," she said grudgingly.

 _Lucy Heartfilia?_ "No I wasn't." And honestly, _when the fuck_ did that happen?

"I was _there_ , Zeref."

Maybe there _was_ time for _this_ quarrel. "When I pulled her through the Dreg? Then?"

"Yeah, then," she said self-righteously.

Zeref shook his head. "You're a kook, I was livid with her, I wasn't eyeing her up."

"You wouldn't tell her who I was," Angel maintained.

 _Oh_. "I wanted to keep you safe." Zeref let the partial lie roll off his tongue. It had more to do with just _how_ he introduced Angel. She was a girl he paid to dance. She was a girl he sometimes paid to have in his bed. Sometimes she didn't ask for money. What the hell did that _mean?_ Maybe she was fucking other men, too. Who knew? "She didn't need to know who you were, who knows who she'd open her mouth to, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, doll. Now come on, help me out." She still wavered, as fickle as her smile. Zeref said, "You don't believe me? You're always the first girl I ask to dance for me, Angel. You know that."

"You only _ever_ ask me to dance," she said finally.

"What?"

Her arms crossed, the clipboard she'd used as a prop held in front of her body.

They really _were_ running out of time, but people, especially those you were asking to risk their necks for you, needed to be stroked, they needed to feel important, relationships _needed care_. And if he wanted out of this jail cell, Angel needed to be navigated carefully. Zeref knew she was spiteful enough to leave him there if he said the wrong thing. He focused on saying everything right. "Talk to me, Angel. What's eating you?"

She looked from beneath her lashes, suddenly shy. "You'll think it's stupid."

"I never think anything you say is stupid." Except when she was throwing a tantrum.

Her shoulders dropped in defeat. "You never take me anywhere."

 _Seriously?_ Yeah, she wasn't kidding. Zeref wanted to yell. He made for patience instead."You want to go out places?"

"Other girls get to."

Other girls... Angel wasn't like other girls. But... "Alright, sure. If you want to go out. I'll take you some place nice. High class. One you need a mink coat to get into and a string of pearls."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely." He dropped his cigarette and stamped it out. "I'll put you on my arm and introduce you as my girl, and afterward, we'll head out to the point and bash ears all night if you want."

She shrugged. "Maybe we could make out. Talking gets old."

Fuck, he realized he did actually love her. Pity. "Whatever you want, you're the boss. Come on now, Angel."

She sighed and came back his way. "Jellal offered me a lot of money, you know? He likes the way I dance."

" _Everyone_ likes the way you dance. You're fucking gorgeous."

She smiled. "I told him I'd think about it. But if you want, I'll say I'm busy."

"Sounds good," Zeref agreed, eager now. He could hear voices out in the lobby again. By the sounds of it, they'd called Richard Buchanan and discovered that Zeref didn't _actually_ have him on retainer. He just liked one of his girls a whole lot. "I hate to ruin the mood, but we're running out of time, Angel. As soon as we start, those guys are going to come in shooting, so we gotta move."

"Yeah, yeah. Cool your jets." She closed her eyes and summoned her magic. It was chilling, the feeling of her power on his skin. She lit up like the angels she beckoned and called Exarp in to being. He wasn't one she used regularly, he cost dearly for his unrivaled control over air. The angel came effortlessly into the world and took up the majority of the cell, not manlike but beastly and ugly in its way, with its elephant-type legs, bulky rough-skinned and pallid body and its inhumanly tusked face. It looked tough and mean and not at all like anything in any scripture. Zeref had asked her once if they were real angels or things she'd pulled out of hell; she got mad instead of giving him a true answer so he let his imagination do the work.

Out in the lobby, people sensed her power and began to yell. Angel tugged out another angel, this one Zeref didn't recognize—a small beast with a lion's head and torso and eagle's feet and a man's penchant for two-legged travel. She sicced it on the door, holding back the flood of what was soon to be riotous constables.

"Break down these walls, Exarp," she commanded of her trump card. The thing lumbered toward Zeref, the old tiled floor buckling beneath its weight. Zeref put himself in the corner of the cell and closed his eyes as Angel's beast took in the hugest breath, sucking in all of the remaining oxygen in the room. When he let it out again, it was in an air attack that could rival Wendy's roar. The cell's metal bars twisted, the puckered concrete and brick mortar eroded and then burst apart. Suddenly, summertime air was rushing into the dingy and dank jail.

When it was all done, Angel stepped through the mangled bars as delicate as you please. Zeref shook dust from his hair and came to her, kissing her briskly on the mouth. "You're a fucking marvel."

She smiled. "Shall we?"

The tail end of her words was eaten up by an explosion that rocked the entire constabulary. People screamed, Angel's guarding angel broke apart in many pieces. The door burst open, allowing constables to pile into the jail. Exarp turned to face the coming hoard.

"Come on!" Zeref yelled and made a break for the wall, Angel's hand awkwardly held in his handcuffed ones. Gunfire filled the air, bullets pinging off the walls and the floors and the cell's metal bars. A bullet whizzed past Zeref's ear, nearly taking the side of his head with it. Apparently the 'I want him alive' order was null and void.

Leaping through the hole in the wall and coming out onto the grass was like stepping into another world, a _safe_ one, for about a second and a half. And then the guns started blazing again. Cars in the parking lot rocked, punched full of holes. Zeref lunged for them, hoping to use them as protection. Angel faltered. Zeref yanked her up and corrected for her. She started running again. Slower this time, but she was moving. In seconds they were between the hulking metal frames, not _safe_ exactly, but _covered._

The front door of the constabulary opened and Jude Heartfilia stepped out, red faced and _furious_. At his back were armed men. Their guns came up. Zeref zagged away from them, his momentary refuge destroyed by their line of sight. Zeref snuck a look over the hood of a Tudor and saw that Angel's other creature had succumbed to the constabulary's forces. The lawn they'd come out on was filling up quickly. More guns, all aimed in their direction.

Zeref pulled on his magic and had none, still trapped by the cuffs. A bullet came whizzing by, skimming his cheek. There was no pain; that would come later. Angel summoned another creature, this one manlike, holding a bow and arrow. It was promptly gunned down. She flinched, feeling the unique pain that came with losing one of her summons. Zeref zagged again and tugged her in front of a Dodge pickup and nuzzled up close to the hot chrome grill. In the truck's shiny red paint, he could see their reflections and hated how wide both his and Angel's eyes were.

"Zeref—we're stuck," Angel said, voicing what he already knew.

"We're okay."

"We're going to die here."

"No, Angel."

Chief Heartfilia's voice boomed above all. "Hold your fire!"

Two more shots went off.

" _Hold!_ "

Everything got quiet.

"You're trapped, Mr. Dragneel. Come out with your hands up and you can return to a jail cell. But if you continue to run, I promise you will be _shot down._ "

Zeref lifted his voice. "I never knew you to be a careless man. Kind of dangerous to be shooting in the streets, isn't it?"

"For you, Mr. Dragneel, I would take a great many risks," the Chief replied.

Zeref couldn't help himself. "That's sweet. Can I get that in a love note? I don't think I've ever had anyone care about me like that."

Angel looked like she was going to faint. Zeref squeezed her hand.

"Find him and take him down," Chief Heartfilia decreed.

 _Perfect,_ Zeref thought. Only not at all. Maybe he was stupid like Natsu. Hell, the kid picked it up from _somewhere_ , didn't he?

An engine revved, one with a squeaky fan belt and a rhythmic and familiar chug of its old Plymouth engine. Hope was a dangerous thing. Zeref kept his breathing even and his hold on Angel vice-like, searching, searching. An orange monstrosity pulled out of a parking spot three spaces over. The back door opened.

"Hallelujah." Lady Luck was sleeping in his bed last night.

"Come on." Zeref lunged, pulling Angel. There wasn't far to go; it was perilous, though. As soon as they rose up, gunfire ripped through the air. Zeref's feet took him faster than he thought he could ever go. They betrayed him, though. Too fast, he tripped. Angel yelled and hauled him up again. A window behind her burst. _Too close._ Zeref scrambled and pulled her the rest of the way, falling into the car more so than leaping in to the stained and ripped backseat. He pulled Angel in behind him, uncaring if he bruised her or pulled her hair or even if she left her fucking leg behind. The car's tires squealed, its three six liter more monster than engine, forcing the backend to swing around. They bounced off two parked cars and almost a third, and then they were on the move. Zeref pushed Angel down and tugged the backdoor closed.

His hands were wet.

 _Later. Later._

"Hey, boss," Erik said from the driver's seat.

"Drive."

There'd be time for questions after.

* * *

Lucy clutched her scarf beneath her chin, looking at the narrow room Natsu had stuffed her in with a feeling like horror bubbling in her chest. She'd never seen so many weapons. Guns—pistols, shotguns, Tommy's, rifles, you name it, it was there—and knifes and _grenades_ for god's sake. Natsu armed himself with proficiency, stuffing guns everywhere he could, filling his pockets, donning a shoulder holster that he hid beneath his jacket, even jamming a little Barretta into his boot. Where he didn't put guns, he grabbed knifes.

"You told Gray no one would get hurt," Lucy reminded him.

"And they won't, as long as they stay out of my way," Natsu said.

"You know the police won't do that, especially if they recognize you or me," Lucy said.

"Then I guess some are going to get fitted for a pine box," Natsu replied.

Lucy held her scarf tighter. "Doesn't this bother you?"

Natsu stopped to look at her directly. "Living like we do, you got two options, Lucy: toughen up or buckle."

She didn't accept that. "Please don't kill anyone."

He didn't say anything either way; Lucy didn't take that as a promise, he was distracted by the door opening and the rest of the Den's infamous members piling in. Sting Eucliffe was the first one through, cold eyed, scarred face, and a mouth that smiled perpetually without mirth. Behind him came Rogue Cheney. Serious, dour. He looked at Lucy and she shivered, remembering his _'Give her to me, I'll teach her to be more forthright.'_ Next in slipped Wendy Marvell. Her mouth curled into a smile when she saw Lucy. Lucy didn't know what to do with _that_. Was it genuine? Was she being facetious? Was she thinking something cruel and laughing at her expense?

She didn't think so. Wendy sincerely seemed like a nice girl. _Whose mother sold her for a hit of crack._ It made Lucy's heart ache. Parents were supposed to be _good._ Good and honest people who loved their children. So far, they had been a huge disappointment.

"Where's Erik?" Natsu asked.

Wendy answered, "He muttered something about Kinana needing him and took off. Said he'd catch up."

"He'd catch up?" Natsu asked with a raise of his brow. "He doesn't even know where we're going."

"He'll find us," Rogue said. "When he does, we'll give him the instructions."

"Maybe I should have just shot him," Natsu said beneath his breath.

"You know how he is with Kinana. She was shaken after that shit in the hallway earlier, crying and stuff," Sting said. "Saying some crap about him not caring about her if he was so willing to die, blah, blah, blah. Let him deal with the hysterics."

He was so glib. Lucy couldn't tell if he was actually crass or if he was putting on a show. Was there any difference?

Natsu let out a sigh through his nose. "Yeah. Whatever, I'll deal with him after. We don't need him for this."

"Wendy doesn't have a partner," Rogue said.

"Then Wendy should go with Carla," Natsu replied. "She'll help keep everyone else safe."

"I want to help look for Happy," Wendy said.

"She can come on our team," Sting offered. "The more the merrier."

It was Rogue that really set the ship to sailing. "Happy might need a healer."

Natsu wavered. Lucy could _feel_ his aggravation and his indecision. "Fucking Erik," he cussed. They were already short on people.

"Carla can keep everyone safe," Wendy said. "She doesn't need my help. When Erik shows up, we'll split and he and I will keep looking."

Lucy saw the holes through the plan. "How will anyone know if Happy's found?"

Everyone turned to look at her, and then at Natsu.

"We'll—we'll send up a temporary flare," he decided finally.

"A flare?" Sting repeated. "Everyone will know where to find us then. If the cops are looking—"

"There isn't any other choice," Natsu said with conviction. "The flares will only be up for a minute or two, then they'll fade. We'll have to keep an eye on the sky all the time."

"You sure you can trust blondie to tell you when a flare's gone off?" Sting asked.

Lucy bristled. "I said I'd help get Happy back."

"And then you left a hole in the fucking wall," Sting said.

Natsu's jaw twitched. _He doesn't trust you_ , Lucy thought. It was disorienting to think that she was untrustworthy to a group of renegades like the Dragon's Den. She almost laughed, then she almost cried. She clutched her keys and said, "I won't run away. I won't let anyone know I'm there."

"She knows if she does, it's back to the slammer, right sweetheart?" Natsu asked coldly. "And Lucy doesn't want to be a yardbird anymore."

"Why is that?" Sting pressed. "Everyone keeps saying that but no one's talking."

There was a horrific moment where Lucy thought Natsu would spill her secret. Then he said, "Mind your own business. Just get the job done, let me worry about everything else."

"That doesn't fly. There are a lot of lies between us right now, buddy, and I'm not liking it."

Lucy was very quickly seeing that Sting was a problem. Curious and vocal and stubborn.

"Get your guns," Natsu said, determined to bowl on.

"If you're not going to tell me about the girly, then how about where Zeref went, huh?" Sting asked.

Lucy watched Natsu struggle. She imagined he'd pull his gun again and this time they wouldn't be interrupted by anyone. He'd pull the trigger, Sting would be dead and they'd have an even number to commence the search. The man took in a deep breath. And another.

"He got picked up by the cops."

Sting didn't even say anything, he just dropped the knife he'd been sizing up and made for the door.

"Where the hell are you going?" Natsu asked.

"To find work elsewhere," Sting replied casually.

Natsu's voice was strained when he said, "Get the fuck back here, Sting."

"Not a chance, the boss is put away, the cops are going to be swooping down on this place in no time, and if they don't, others will. You think Kagura and her bunch are just going to let this slide? They've been looking to deal us a low blow for years and this is their opportunity. If they don't, Lamia Scale will, or—"

"I get it," Natsu said. "You're scared."

"Scared?" Sting turned back, bristling. "I like to call it smart."

"Whatever, coward," Natsu said. He went for the gun at his hip like Lucy feared he might.

"Going to shoot me?" Sting asked, looking down that barrel fearlessly.

"If you're seriously backing out, I have no choice. Nothing personal, business," Natsu said.

Wendy interjected. "Come on, guys. Now isn't the time to be fighting. Sting, stop." She grabbed his arm and held him from going any further. "I know you're more loyal than that. Natsu, put down the gun, you're not going to shoot him."

Natsu didn't drop it an inch. "I'm not? Could have fooled me."

"No, you're not," she said stubbornly and grabbed the barrel, tearing it away from his hands. "You're _not._ Stop showboating."

Lucy didn't share her confidence. Natsu had plenty more guns to fill his hands with.

Wendy said, "Happy's counting on us to save him, right? We can't do that if everyone's trying to fly the coop. You can fight and decide if you're going to leave afterward when he's home safe."

"There might not be an afterward," Sting was sure to point out.

"So? When has that ever deterred you? You love this kind of thing, Sting. When else are you going to get such an opportunity to stick it to the man?" Wendy asked, drawing herself up tall and making herself seem so much more than she had before. Gone was the girl that had fallen on her rump in the driveway, shocked, here was a fierce little dragon that talked a big game.

"Zeref's on his way out of jail as we speak," Natsu said. "Everything's happening just like we thought it would. He'll be back in time for dinner. I want Happy to be there when he is."

Sting fixed Natsu in his gaze. "You're telling me you planned for this?"

"Just so," Natsu replied. He was a good liar when he wanted to be, Lucy decided. He didn't flinch or hesitate. His gang mate wasn't taking the bait hook, line and sinker, though.

"You better not be lying to me."

Natsu said, "I got one of Heartfilia's guys doing the work for us. Fullbuster. He's genuine."

Lucy hoped for Gray's sake that was true.

Sting let out a gust of air. "Alright. Let's make quick work of this."

Natsu snatched his gun back from Wendy's hold and stuffed it into Lucy's limp hand. "If you need it, I hope your aim's better than last time."

* * *

A/N: I don't think I say this enough: Thanks everyone for reading and supporting my work. I really appreciate it. You are wonderful. I finished that one-shot I was talking about, it's up on SleeplessComplication's profile. It turned out _way_ better than I thought it was going to, it'd be awesome if you read it ;)


	16. Chapter 16

Natsu's hand was on Lucy's hip and his fingers played through the fabric of her dress, plucking the skirt as they walked. He'd wrapped his arm around her waist coming out of the Dreg House, spewing off some crap about needing to look casual when she'd pulled away, and though at first, he'd worn an expression reminiscent of one with bad gas pains, he'd relaxed. Lucy wasn't sure how she felt about it. Her heart was doing weird things and her skin was too warm, and it wasn't just the hot sun shining down on her making her sweat, or the warm breeze that kept skating around her legs. Or the potential for every eye in Magnolia to be pointing her way.

They strolled past a fluorescently lit diner called Mel's Drive-In. Jerry Lee Louis was pouring out of the speaker singing _Great Balls of Fire_. Inside, people bopped around to the song, ate their burgers at their booths, drank their shakes. Had fun. The parking lot was quickly filling with cars, old and new alike.

"It's too bad you look so fine," Natsu said casually. "I'd pop in and grab a bite, but we'd stand out to anyone looking."

Lucy recognized the strange compliment, though she had no idea what to do with it. Ignore it, she decided, in favour of deciphering if he was serious or not. Not, she thought. He was so hot to trot about getting his friend back. He was just trying to make conversation, something to make the situation less tense. It was strange to think that Natsu Dragneel, infamous member of the Dragon's Den, was uncomfortable and was searching for something to say. It was so human. She played along. It did actually help her relax. "I thought you said Carla would make me 'street worthy'?"

"Sure, sweetheart, but a gold goose is a gold goose, even if you smear some dirt on her."

"I'm not a goose."

Natsu looked at her sideways. "Yeah."

It was almost an apology. While they were being cordial, Lucy tread into dangerous territory. "You're horrible for going through my stuff, but thanks for not telling everyone. About my notes."

Natsu's fingers stopped fussing in her dress. "I'm not too sure I'm doing you any favours."

"I don't know what you mean." She tried to be airy. It came out too soft.

He replied, "Something like that's going to eat at you. You're going to think about it and think about it until you feel like you're less. And then what? You wander around half a person wondering _why me_ while your daddy keeps going on, thinking what he's doing is okay _?_ "

Lucy shivered and sidestepped in an attempt to get out of his hold. Natsu grabbed her back just as quickly. His good nature was gone in a flash. "Don't."

Lucy was opening her mouth to say something cutting. An elderly man walking toward them in a bowler cap and a brown short-sleeved dress shirt looked at them curiously, halting the flow of her words. Natsu tugged her back into his side and buried his nose in her scarf by her ear. "Smile. Laugh."

It took Lucy too long, she was caught off guard by the feel of his many guns digging into her hip, his breath hot sliding through the fabric of her scarf to tickle her ear and her neck, the sheer juxtaposition of it all as she identified how she was feeling: terrified and thrilled. Finally, she managed something like a toothy grin and a soft giggle so maybe it looked like they were just two people out on a date enjoying themselves and playing.

And then Natsu took it a step further, sealing the deal by pressing his mouth to hers in the quickest kiss Lucy had ever had. She supposed it looked innocent, the brush of his lips over hers, the smile that came to him after, an impish flash of teeth, it's not how it felt, though. It burned through her and made her head dead. It felt like the most indecent thing she'd ever done.

The man in the hat passed by them with a vague smile and a nod of his head and turned down a side street, perhaps buying the ruse. Or maybe he was going to duck into the next phone booth and call the cops. Lucy thought she'd faint. Natsu's hand on her waist kind of kept her in reality, walking down the litter-sprinkled streets. There were people that were paid to clean up the garbage, but they came out once a week on Wednesdays and it was Sunday. A Charleston Chew wrapper was pushed past her broken shoes and got stuck in a sewer grate.

Lucy stole a glance at her unexpected partner in crime and couldn't read his expression, though she tried and tried to see the revulsion he always seemed to have for her. She licked her bottom lip and tasted him still, then brushed away the moisture. She thought of a lot of things she could say next; nothing seemed right.

"Didn't think you'd like it?" Natsu sounded snide and glib. But also genuinely curious.

Lucy said, "No one said I did."

His mouth pulled into a wolfish smile. Thankfully, he didn't try to embarrass her anymore. In the distance, the giant cathedral on Water Street struck the hour, tolling twelve times. Lucy breathed deeply and strived to be calm, letting the sounds of the city wash over her. The cars, the factories, the bells, the people, laughter and yelling. It all poured into her veins. She reached up and felt her keys around her throat, tucked into the hem of her scarf, drawing strength from them.

"No touching," Natsu said shortly.

"You're trusting me not to cry bloody murder and give you up to the police when we go into this warehouse, aren't you?" Lucy asked, keeping her hand exactly where it was.

"Yeah, but you don't want the cops to find you any more than I do," Natsu replied. "Here on the street, all you gotta do is pull out one of those spirits, make a scene, and disappear into the crowd. Then I'm fucked."

"You're paranoid, actually," Lucy responded.

"Practical."

"Must be hard never really trusting anyone," Lucy said. She let go of her keys as a show of good faith.

Natsu gave her a fleeting glance. "I trust plenty of people. Zeref, Wendy, Carla if Wendy's still in good with us, Happy."

"Four people in the whole, wide world, wow," Lucy said.

"And who do you trust, Lucy?" Natsu asked. "Because from where I'm standing, you don't have many people on your side."

"Are you?" Lucy asked. She could see her question totally blindsided him. He opened and closed his mouth twice. Thrice. She took pleasure in his tripping after he'd thrown her off base. "Sounds like maybe I should be watching carefully," Lucy said. "Everyone's looking out for themselves."

Natsu got his wits back. "I told you I'd keep you out of trouble if I could."

 _If I could._ It was a weak promise. The sad thing was, it was one of the most genuine Lucy had ever heard. People had the potential to be good. Natsu did, despite his gun-waving and harsh ways. _What would he be like if his childhood had been different?_ The possibilities were boundless. But, really, what did it matter? People were the way they were and they were beautiful for it, even when they did ugly things. _What are you saying anymore?_ That she was a little bit partial to a known criminal? _Because he took a kiss you weren't offering? He was just playing a bit._ It was all an act. Every part of it. It had to be. "Gray will come through and you won't have to dirty your hands with a moral dilemma like this. I wouldn't want you to have to wage war on your conscience." And she wouldn't have to, either.

"It's not about conscience," Natsu said, pulling her up short at a stoplight at the corner of Victoria and Henkie Avenue. Cars whizzed by on the green light, music blaring out of flattops with the windows down. A cherry red Corvette turned so close to the curb, it almost hit Natsu's elbow. He didn't flinch. "I know what my conscience is saying. What my brain's saying is something different. What scares me is which one I'm trying to listen to."

Lucy searched his eyes. "What does that mean?"

Natsu muttered, "I hope your constable comes through because then he can do all the work for me and I won't have to explain to Zeref why I'm going soft."

She almost laughed in his face. "You nearly shot two of your friends today. Is that soft?"

"I wasn't going to shoot Erik." He was a boldfaced liar. Lucy told him as much. He shrugged. "I don't know."

"And Sting?"

He turned his face into the sun, thinking. He almost looked boyish in that hat with the sun shining on his skin, making the freckles on his nose stand out. Just when Lucy was almost fooled, he proved he was cold by saying, "If he kept walking. He knows too much."

She just couldn't help herself asking, "Too much about what?"

"About the Den's dealings, Lucy. What we have and what we don't, who are friends are when the lights are on, and who our friends are when the lights are off. He could deal us a seriously low blow if he wanted."

"Why would he?"

"Someone pays him good enough."

That sounded terrible. "Why do you live like this?" Lucy asked.

He laughed. The light turned green and they started walking across the intersection. "Things are too far gone now to turn back, aren't they? The only way out is through. Besides, it's kind of fun, isn't it?"

"On the run all the time?"

He got a spark in his eye. "The danger. Who knows if a Lawman is going to get your number, eh? But it's fun as fuck fighting to be one step ahead of them all the time."

"You're a crazy liar."

Sure he was. All of the best lies were told with a hint of truth, though.

* * *

It was getting worse. The time had come where Zeref couldn't ignore what was happening. Angel was shivering. Zeref pressed his hands into her side as hard as he could, though she gasped in pain and the blood never seemed any less.

"What's happening back there? You shot, Angel?" Erik asked from the front seat.

"You're supposed to be _driving_ ," Zeref growled.

Erik squeezed the steering wheel tight. "Is it bad?"

"It's not fucking good, is it?" Zeref asked so Angel didn't try to talk. "You try having your side punched through with a bullet."

"What I'm asking is, are we taking her to Wendy or are we driving out to Monnet—"

"I swear to _God,_ Erik, if you finish that sentence I will _personally_ put a fucking bullet between your eyes," Zeref threatened. "Get us back to the Dreg House."

Erik flicked on the radio and drove faster to the music of _Jail House Rock_.

Angel squeezed Zeref's wrist. "You worried about me?"

"Stop talking."

"I'm alright, baby."

She could say what she liked; she was bleeding a lot, it was getting all over the seat, and her leg was doing something weird, twitching then going completely limp. The bullet had grazed something it wasn't meant to, entering her body by her hip and exiting somewhere by her spine. Who knew what it hit on the way out? "Angel, I love you to death, but if you don't shut up…"

Her mouth quirked at his admission. She challenged him instead of swooning like other girls might. She was one of a kind. "Then what?"

One of a kind thorn in his side. "Just shut up. Wendy's gonna heal you and you'll be fine."

She squeezed his wrist again, less hard than she had before. "I know."

He wished he could fix her there by himself but his magic didn't work like that. Zeref tried to focus on something productive. To Erik, he said, "Did Natsu send you?"

Erik looked in the mirror. "I can talk now?"

Shadow crawled over his skin as he entertained violent fantasy after violent fantasy.

Erik sobered. "Natsu said you were in jail, yeah."

"But did he _send_ you?"

"No, boss. I came on my own," Erik said eventually. "Before everyone could get squirrelly back home."

"Lucky break, huh?" Zeref asked.

"Yeah." Erik barely slowed taking the car around the next bend. "Lucky break."

* * *

Coming around the back of the building, trapped between the industrial section of the city and the beach boardwalk that was more fit for industrial waste than swim-ready bodies, Zeref looked between the darkened alleys, feeling Rogue's magic, so akin to his own. He found the dark blotch on the side of the building in short order. _What the fuck happened_ was on his tongue. He knew, though. Lucy Heartfilia happened.

She was a big fucking pain in his ass. The worst thing that ever walked into his life, by far.

"Was this here before you left?"

"Yeah," Erik grunted. "Heartfilia's girl got uppity. Natsu got her back."

Well, bully for him.

The car lurched to a stop. Angel grunted. Zeref didn't even bother asking her if she could walk, she was too pale, her leg was still looking way, way too limp. He put on his best cool exterior and threw open the door, then he gathered Angel close and tugged her up to his chest. She fit against him, small and light. Her arms went around his neck and her head rested on his chest.

"This wasn't what I had in mind when I thought I wanted romancing," she said.

Zeref couldn't even reply.

Erik got out of his Plymouth to yank open the back door. Zeref grunted something that might have been thanks and got inside, stretching his legs to their full potential to bring him quickly. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed and made the whole hallway green. Angel didn't need any help with her colour.

"Wendy!" Zeref called as he walked. "Angel's hurt, I need you to fix her up."

He was met by silence.

"Wendy!"

Still nothing.

 _It's a ghost town._ There was a bad feeling in his guts.

The hall terminated in a T. He went right, going toward the kitchen. Inside was empty, Natsu's jacket gone, Kinana absent from where she was usually prepping _something_.

"Looks like no one's home," Erik said.

Yeah, looked like.

"Fuck. Wendy!" Zeref went from the kitchen into the distillery room. That, too, predictably, was empty. He tried the office and had a _moment_ of hope when he heard the TV going, but it had been left on. Astro Boy was playing, the opening theme filling the room.

— _ures soon you will face!_

 _Astro Boy, bombs away,  
On your mission today,  
Here's the countdown,  
And the blast-off,  
Everything is go, Astro Boy_!

Zeref's cool exterior was rapidly flaking away. If Wendy wasn't there, Angel needed to see someone ASAP. Which meant taking her to the hospital. It was a cop's wet dream. _Fuck it._ "Keys," he said to Erik.

"Keys?" Erik repeated.

"She needs to see someone _now._ "

"I'm okay," Angel said, reading him clearly. "I don't need to go to the hospital. We'll just—we'll wait for Wendy here. It'll be fine."

There was a problem with that. Two, actually. The first was that Zeref Dragneel was a fucking control freak. That's why he was the leader of their rag-tag group. That's why everything went _just so_ , because he planned meticulously, bet only when the odds were favourable, and never gambled with someone he couldn't trust. He never just _left something up to fate._ The second problem, and perhaps the more important one was that Angel was going to bleed out if they kept moving around.

Erik knew his most vocal thoughts. "Why not put her down on the couch, eh, and I'll keep looking?"

That seemed like a logical thing. What else was there? He brought Angel over and laid her down gently. Her head rolled on her shoulders so she was looking either at him or the TV, Zeref couldn't tell, she was so unfocused. He took the constable's jacket off and used that as a means to catch her blood in some vague hope that it would congeal. That nice couch Jellal got them was going to be ruined.

The next time he looked up, Erik was gone.

Angel touched his cheek and brought him back to looking into her ocean blue eyes. "You're sweet to take care of me."

"Don't mention it, doll."

She cracked half a smile. "Did you mean what you said earlier?"

He didn't have to ask her to clarify, he thought she'd come back to it, Angel was just that kind of girl. "I never say anything I don't mean."

Angel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you do."

"Yea, I do."

She didn't ask again if he was genuine and he didn't tell her. People started talking about love and saying things they hadn't gotten to say when they were stepping out. And that _wasn't_ what was happening here.

A noise caught his attention. _Wendy_ , he thought. Or Erik returning to say Wendy was gone and they actually did need to pile into the Plymouth. He'd determined to stay where he was, but a crashing and the sound of broken glass changed his mind.

"What was that?" Angel voiced what he was thinking.

Zeref reached beneath the couch, pulling out a large chrome revolver. He checked the chamber, spun the wheel back in place, and stood again. "I'll be back in a second."

Angel didn't tell him to be careful. He imagined she was thinking it, though. He hoped. It'd be shitty to tell a girl you loved her and have her not even care if you got shot in the ass.

More glass shattered, followed by a _whoosh_ that Zeref was very familiar with. Fire. And not Natsu's. He never needed an accelerant like gasoline and the place was suddenly rank in it. _I don't even want to see_ , Zeref thought childishly with his hand on the doorknob, the barrier still in place. _I don't want to know what's going on beyond there._

More glass shattering.

Smoke drifted through the bottom of the door, acrid and dark. _Fuck._ Zeref nudged the door open to a full-blown blaze.

* * *

Erza Scarlet had pearlescent skin. She had hair like satin and sure fingers that plucked at Gray's collar, and a warm body that was soft. She was a contradiction, so ruthless sometimes, ambitious and willing to do dangerous things to get what she wanted, but she was also pliable. Her breath hiccupped, unsteady. For the first time in her life, Gray thought Erza was unsure. The realization didn't make him stop his hands roving the back of her blue and white dress. It didn't make him hesitate playing with the ascot around her neck, up beneath her hair. It didn't make him feel badly. It made him think _good_ because she had put him off kilter for a long, long time.

The upper hand he'd garnered didn't last too long. Erza pulled back enough to get her butt up on the counter and then she grabbed his askew tie and tugged him in again. This time he was between her legs and her hands were working on the knot around his throat. She was efficient. The tie fell to the floor and then the top few buttons of his shirt were undone. Gray's heart beat hard as he wondered _what now_? and considered stopping her.

His hands had other ideas, grabbing her waist and bringing her closer. Her breath hitched again when she felt his body pressed into hers. Gray got harder; there wasn't any helping it. To hell with the fact that they were in his kitchen, on his counter in broad daylight. To hell with the fact that everything was burning down around his ears.

That was irrational Gray.

Rational Gray was screaming in his head saying _what in the good_ fuck _are you doing?_

What indeed?

He slowed mauling her, his hands finding a more appropriate place to be than beneath her breasts, inching, inching higher.

Sensing the change, Erza slowed her kiss. Her lips pressed lighter into his, her tongue disappeared from Gray's. She kissed him once, chaste, and whispered, "What is it?"

It was hard to focus with her fingers playing over the silver chain of his necklace. Gray swallowed and breathed deeply. Once, twice. "I can't be doing this right now."

Erza's dark eyes met his boldly. "Why not?"

"Um…"

Her legs squeezed around his waist, her free hand pressed into his bare chest. When had that happened? He didn't remember her undoing his shirt any more. Gray held in a shiver. "Erza—"

"Yes?"

Her voice was hot coals on his skin. Gray felt stupid all over again. It only escalated when she kissed his jaw. She was a siren. A horrible and wonderful siren who leaned back, liked what she saw in his eye and then, seemingly possessed, put his hands on her body when he fell short. Her breasts filled his hands and then some. He pushed her back hard enough that she hit the knob on the radio on the counter behind her. The machine came on, making them both jump. Erza recovered first, laughing a little and putting Gray's hands back in place while Johnny Cash sang _I Walk the Line_. His baritone voice filled the kitchen.

 _'I find it very, very easy to be true  
I find myself alone when each day's through  
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you  
Because you're mine, I walk the line'_

 _Goddamn._

God.

Damn.

"I can't, Erza." He couldn't let her go, either. He held her tight and ran his thumbs over the peaks of her breasts like a fucking idiot, watching her eyes slip closed and then open again with his words.

"You are."

"I'm stopping. I'm—I'm putting a stop to it."

She smiled.

She was actually horrible.

Gray took his hands away from her body and took a step back, otherwise, he wouldn't ever be able to. His cock hurt; his pants were too tight, and he'd never felt more dishevelled. His hair, which _had_ looked neat and in place, gelled and slicked back before he set out on this mad journey late last night, was mussed first from his encounter with the Dragon's Den and then further with Erza. He ran his hands through it, again and again, trying to fight it back in place, thinking that was as good as a place to start as any. It _did_ actually help some. It kept his eyes away from a red-cheeked and red-lipped Erza. An Erza that looked equally flustered.

"I didn't mean to be so forward." Her voice had lost its siren's call.

Gray moved next to the buttons on his shirt, doing those up with fingers that tried to shake. "I'm glad you were."

She got quiet. "Then why did you stop?"

His erection was slowly, slowly fading. Some of the blood was coming back to his head. Not enough to make him smart. "Because, Erza. I gotta get back to the constabulary and let a man out of jail." It was so insane he laughed. _I must be out of my mind._

"What?"

He finally looked at her. She hadn't lost the glow that called him like a moth to flame, but she'd donned a _concerned_ look that certainly whoaed his horses and really put into perspective what he said. "Nothing. Forget about it."

Erza shook her head. "No."

There was so much _stubbornness_ in that word, Gray felt his foundation eroding.

She reached for him and got him by the bicep, tugging him back in far, far too close. He did nothing to correct his situation; maybe he couldn't, he just wanted to be near her. Or maybe he really did want to spill his secret. Or maybe he was just stupid for Erza. She searched his eyes again. "Tell me, Gray. Tell me what's going on with you."

"You don't want to get involved, Erza. It's beyond both of us, really. I'm going to lose my job." For sure, there was no saving it. "And there's no reason you have to, too. Just stay here, keep being ignorant. Trust me, it's going to work in your favour." He tried to tug out of her grasp. She had a firm hold on him.

"Please, Gray. I want to help you. Don't shut me out. Who are you letting out of jail?"

"Zeref Dragneel." Yeah, he was _definitely_ stupid for Erza. He searched her eyes for indignation, shock, and betrayal. He didn't have to look too far for any of it. She didn't immediately beat him down with accusations, though. There was that.

"Why?"

He opened his mouth like he had something to prove and the truth came out. All of it. Every last bit, from Lucy's escape to her recapture. To his involvement in her escape again. To the Den taking her back and their capture of him after he snagged up Gajeel Redfox. His promise to Natsu and Lucy.

When he was through, Erza just looked at him. Gray met her eyes for the first five seconds, then he needed to look away, not wanting to see the moment she didn't see the grey between the black and white and called his actions brash and careless. Where she said his loyalties should be with the constabulary. All of it.

In the silence, a man's voice came on the radio. " _This just in, breaking news: a fire has been reported at forty-seven Stellar Drive. The blaze is spreading rapidly even though fire crews are on site_."

The bottom dropped out of Gray's stomach. He reached for his jacket and his gun and grabbed his truck keys, too. Erza wasn't fast enough to stop him this time. He moved through the house like a man possessed, leaving her in the kitchen while he burst through the screen door and jogged for his truck. The door opened with a low squeak; the engine turned over on the first try. It was old, that Chevy, but it was a _good_ truck, painted with orange rust paint and dented in the rear quarter panel because when he'd been learning to drive, he'd taken the corner coming out of the driveway too sharp and snagged the fence post. He and his dad were supposed to fix that. Then life took its course and Gray was burying his dad the next week, right alongside his mother.

He didn't have the heart to fix that panel himself, though he'd thought about it. Gotten out the hammer so many times he'd lost count. Each time, he'd throw it back in the barn and think _tomorrow._

He was fighting to get the truck in drive—sometimes the gears stuck—when the passenger door opened and Erza climbed in. She buckled up without saying anything and rested her hands in her lap.

The truck lurched into drive, the transmission grabbing. Gray glanced at the girl beside him once, trying to determine her motives. She was a blank slate. He put his foot down. There wasn't any time for arguing about if she was coming or staying.

It wasn't until they were out of the driveway and on the road that Erza spoke. "The Chief knows you were taken by the Den. He wanted me to try to get answers out of you. That's why he said I should drive you home. He thought—he said you'd tell me what I wanted to know. If I asked in the right ways."

Gray glanced at her twice. " _What?_ "

Her gaze was fixed out the window.

Gray clutched the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white. He thought he was too angry to ask, "You kissed me to get answers out of me?" He was wrong.

Erza flinched, giving him his answer.

"Holy fuck, Erza." To hell with watching his mouth. "What the _hell_?"

She wrung her hands in her dress. "He said he'd review my application if I could get information about the Den. Where they were, who was there."

"You were trying to sell me out."

She had the decency to blush. "It wasn't like that."

"Yes. It was." His foot was on the break before he really thought about what he was doing. The truck lurched to a stop.

"What are you doing?"

"Get out."

"No, I want to help."

It was a struggle not to yell. "You've helped enough."

"Gray, please, I—I was trying to do the right thing. I wanted to help Lucy. I didn't know if I was going to go through with it—"

"And then you did."

"No—"

Gray reached over her body and threw open the truck door. A summer's breeze grabbed it and kept it from bouncing back closed. "You got your wish, Erza. You wanted to be femme fatale, here you go. This is what happens to those dames."

"It's quite a bit different than what I'd imagined," Erza said, angry now.

"Go on, Marie Windsor."

" _Gray_ —"

" _Get out_." He couldn't even look at her. Erza let out a puff of air that could only be called indignant and unbuckled her seatbelt. "You're wrong," she said as she was getting out of the truck. "I kissed you because I wanted to, not because the Chief told me to."

Gray grabbed the door from her hands and closed it firmly. He almost hit another truck coming off the shoulder because he didn't check his blind spot. His heart didn't even beat faster, not with fear, with anger, sure, because _what the fuck_.

 _Just get to Stellar Drive._ The place was burning. Was Lucy inside still?

* * *

Gray didn't think his truck went noticed as he pulled up against the curb and looked at the razing building. There were five firetrucks trying to contain the blaze and they were doing a piss-poor job of it, too. Every hose was going; every man was out in force. It didn't look like anyone had tried to go into the building, the fire was too wild for that. Their only interest was containing the blaze.

 _And Lucy_? No one was looking for her. He reached for the door, determined to start grilling the firemen when his passenger door was opened by a man with soot smeared over his cheek. Beneath all the filth, Zeref Dragneel was easy to identify. There was a girl haphazardly in his arms. Her side was soaked in blood and her face was pale.

Gray reached for his sidearm. Zeref had his out first, pointed and cocked. "Don't."

Gray lifted his hands and put them back on the wheel. "Sure. You want my truck?"

Zeref shook his head. "No. I want you to drive, Mr. Fullbuster, because I want to have a nice talk with you." He lifted the girl in his arms and deposited her on the seat. "In the truck, Angel, baby." She pulled herself along as best as she could, grunting.

"She needs a hospital," Gray said.

Zeref got in, too. "No hospitals. Start driving, we're heading toward Bristol."

The waving gun really gave Gray some incentive. He fought to get the truck in drive again.

* * *

Erza clenched her hand around Gray's spare gun tightly, cursing herself, cursing him.

"I don't think we're supposed to be here," said the man she'd coerced into picking her up and driving like a maniac to catch up with Gray here at Stellar Drive. She had to _assume_ that was where he was going, really. He'd heard that crap on the radio and then he'd just become single-minded.

"Just pull over and let me out, that's fine," Erza said. "You've been a big help."

The man slowed his white '53 Corvette. With the top off, the smell of the fire burned Erza's nose. She found Gray's truck amongst all of the police and firetrucks. She had her foot out on the curb and was saying thank you and apologizing for her behaviour when a man with a girl hefted in his arms lurched from the shadows and reached for Gray's truck. Zeref Dragneel. He looked injured, limping slightly. That wasn't what caught Erza's eye, though, it was the revolver in his hand. He opened the door, pushed the girl inside, and climbed in, too.

The truck started rolling away, through the firetrucks and police cars. No one stopped them, they were all focused on the blaze.

"Fuck," Erza swore.

"Are ladies supposed to talk like that?" asked the man at her side.

"Are gentlemen supposed to have tattoos on their faces and blue hair?" Erza snapped. Without waiting for an answer, she threw herself back in his Corvette. "Follow that truck."

"And if I say no?"

Erza pointed the gun at him. "I'd say reconsider."

He smiled, showing straight white teeth. "Sure, doll."

* * *

Guest who told me Gray kind of reminded you of Gotham's Jim Gordon: You seriously had me fangirling. Next to Harvey Bullock, Jim Gordon's my man. ;) thanks. Honestly.


	17. Chapter 17

Henkie Avenue wasn't the most high-class place Heartfilia could stash a storage locker. The sidewalks were just a bit too cracked, the roads sprinkled with litter that had time to rot in the sun and the rain. There were old cars parked on the side of the road that looked like they hadn't moved in years and years. Kinda lowbrow. The kind of place that was good for hiding bad things. Which meant Natsu was hopeful that this was the place. This was where they'd find Happy.

He put his hand in his pocket and felt the flare he'd set off if hope became a reality and grabbed Lucy's hand with his free one. Her skin was warm and soft. He waited to feel the dispassion that came with the realization that she'd had things just this side of easy. He couldn't drum it up. Maybe it was the knowledge of her plight ( _He doesn't call me Lucy anymore, not at night._ ) or maybe it was just... her. He didn't know. She was too fucking genuine by half. Until she was putting on an act to get him to relax so she could run out again. Then she was as sly as sly could be.

 _Or maybe she's not really all that sly and Zeref was right, she's got you all fucked up._ He couldn't stop making mistakes. Like kissing her. That had been a mistake. It was quick and it was relatively painless, but it _lingered._ Her shocked and shy expression, her fingers touching her mouth after. He'd teased her and she hadn't told him to fuck off. He wanted to ask what that meant. Mostly, he didn't want to think about it at all.

The road was lined with old buildings. One was a church that had been recommissioned into a food pantry, one was a strange and decrepit little antique shop called _Heart Strings,_ and one was a bakery called _Mrs. Anne's._ Beside that was a restaurant he knew belonged to Jellal. It was just the kind of brazen, crazy thing he'd do, set up shop so close to a cop hive. He liked to walk the line. Natsu appreciated the sentiment. The cops came into the place every week, looking for a hair out of place. They'd never find it. _Halo_ was a speakeasy that was never gutted. Jellal picked it up, ran a legitimate business in the front while the right word would get you in through the back into the 'private room'. Zeref had been a few times, he'd even brought Natsu along once or twice. It was expensive, though, and friendship only went so far when it came to making a profit, so they didn't make a habit out of it. Special occasions.

Natsu kept his pace slow, casual. Beside him, he felt Lucy shaking. "Nothing bad's gonna happen."

She glanced at him quickly. "I'm not scared."

Yeah, right. "You still have that gun?"

She pulled up short. Horrifically and wonderfully fascinated, Natsu watched her look around covertly, then reach inside the yellow fabric of her dress, going between her overlarge and spilling breasts. He watched and watched, confused, until she flashed him the metal handle. Her cheeks were bright red by the time she'd adjusted herself and became sort of decent once again.

There was something about seeing prim Lucy with a gun between her breasts. There was something about her _showing_ him. Something that made him feel stupid again.

 _Focus._

He swallowed; his own skin was too hot. "Be careful with that in there. Don't want to shoot yourself."

Lucy's cheeks only got brighter.

Natsu moved on, just needing to. "Alright. Here's the plan, we'll do a walk by, scope the place out, see if its guarded. If it is—" He hated that he was trying to listen to Lucy's ' _Please don't hurt anyone'_. It wasn't like the cops ever thought that when they were shooting at him—"We'll try to find a way in around them without gunfire."

A look of intense relief came over the girl. Natsu drank up the way her mouth pulled into a ghost of a smile. The way she said, "Thank you," so graciously, though he hadn't promised a _goddamn thing_. He rolled on.

"We'll find a good place for you to wait. I'll give you the flare and the lighter. Keep your eye on the surroundings. If you see cops, tap your hand against the wall." He showed her a quick and easy pattern. "Hopefully I'll hear and come out and we'll cop a breeze, right?"

"Hopefully?"

"Well, it's not foolproof, is it?"

Not by a long shot. "What if they see us? Or recognize me? My dad's got to know you'll be looking for your friend," Lucy said.

Yeah. "I've been running from the heat for a long time," Natsu said. "We'll be alright."

In front of the bakery, Lucy came up short and used the window as a mirror to make sure all of her hair was covered. Natsu shook his head and tugged her along another few paces so she wasn't on display and faced her. "Stopping and staring into a place like that is going to be what gets us caught."

Lucy looked abashed. The expression didn't fade as Natsu fixed her scarf for her. He wasn't as good as Carla had been, his fingers were unused to doing such delicate work, but the end result was passable, all of Lucy's silky locks were trapped away in that dark fabric. He took his hands away from her again, thinking about all kinds of things he shouldn't be thinking about if he was in the business of outsmarting cops. He needed to be focused. _Be smart._ The only thing he was, was nervous. He'd never let on.

"Show me the signal," Natsu told her. A daze cleared out of Lucy's eyes. She held out her hand and tapped out the warning. Natsu nodded firmly. "Good. Before we go," he looked into her eyes, trying to catch a lie if she dared. "Promise me you're not going to fuck me."

Lucy, bless her, still looked chagrined by his harsh language. She bounced back. "I told you I wouldn't."

"Promise," he told her again. "A Heartfilia's word is worth something, that's what you said, right?"

She fidgeted. "Yes."

Maybe she _had_ been thinking of ways to ditch again. It didn't endear him to her, though he couldn't find the energy to get mad; if he was in her position, he wouldn't be super keen on leaving things up to chance or in someone else's hands, either. "You'll be fine if you play cool." He took a package of cigarettes from his pocket and handed them over. Lucy just stared at them.

"Take them," Natsu said.

"I don't smoke."

"Yeah. And how are you going to explain just leaning against the building?" he asked. "Give yourself something to do. You don't have to smoke it, just pretend if anyone's looking."

She took the package like it was a viper and held it loosely. Natsu folded his hand back around hers and started off again. "Ready for show time?"

"No."

He nudged her gently. "The right answer's 'Yeah, Natsu, I'm ready to kick some serious ass and get your best friend back.'" It was hard to contain his excitement, it came through his nervousness and obliterated it.

Lucy smiled more genuine. "You're crazy," she said again.

"In the best way." He didn't want to like her, but he kind of did. Her fly-by-night attitude needed some _serious_ work. She had a nice smile, though. Infectious. They could get along, in the right circumstances.

* * *

Taken at gunpoint wasn't part of the plan. Gray always thought he was adaptable, but not in that moment. In that moment, he felt like he was a rat in a cage. He felt like screaming. He felt like doing something rash. He asked a question. "Lucy Heartfilia. Was she caught in that blaze?"

Zeref glanced at him quickly, no doubt running through a myriad of scenarios, trying to see which answer would benefit him.

"The truth," Gray said without provocation.

Zeref ran his tongue over his teeth like he tasted something sour. "Dreg House was empty except for me and Angel."

 _Empty._ Well, fuck. "Your brother has Lucy. She's not safe. I know you want to get her ransom, but there are things you don't understand. She can't—"

"Just drive," Zeref said. "I've heard all the sob stories."

Screaming was back in plausible rotation. Gray squeezed his steering wheel so tight, his knuckles creaked. "How much do you want for her?"

"More than you can pay," Zeref said coolly.

"I have a house and a cottage I can sell," Gray told him. "And I have some cash saved up. I—"

"It's not _just_ about the money, Mr. Fullbuster," Zeref replied. "This is personal. Jude Heartfilia is trying to hurt my friends and family. I won't rest until he's dead or broken-hearted."

 _Broken-hearted._ And just what the _hell_ did that mean? Gray could imagine. He tasted the iron tang of fear on his tongue. "Lucy doesn't have anything to do with this, leave her alone."

Between them, the girl— _Angel,_ Gray thought—notably breathed shallower. Hearing that, Zeref was a slave to panic for two heartbeats before he buried the sensation below a calm and cool exterior. He was a good actor, sure, but it was clear to see he cared about this girl. Gray entertained several situations in which that would work to his benefit. He didn't know if he was cold enough to pull off anything extreme, not while he could avoid it.

"Forget about Heartfilia and his girl for now," Zeref said. He leaned over to pointedly jam the gun's barrel between Gray's ribs; really, he was hiding his motions as he squeezed Angel's side tighter, fighting with the blood she was losing.

"That coat's soaked," Gray said, not fooled by the ruse. "It's useless now. She'll bleed to death if you don't take care of that."

"Focus on the road, let me worry about her," Zeref replied.

Gray only half listened to the command. "I might be able to do something for her." Freezing the wound closed offered its own problems, tissue damage, and the ice wouldn't hold for long, it would melt at some point, but it would be _enough_. Enough to keep her alive for awhile longer.

"The only thing you're doing is _driving_. We're almost to where we need to be."

Gray glanced at the girl again. She was ashen, her eyes heavy-lidded. He put his foot down on the accelerator, forcing the truck's engine to carry them through the orange light. They didn't have a lot of time to waste waiting for it to turn green.

Zeref seemed pacified by the move. He relaxed his grip on the gun some. "My brother came to see you?"

Gray looked; Zeref was watching him closely. "Yeah, your brother came to see me."

"You got to talking?"

"Sure." If you could call it that.

Zeref rolled his wrist, waving Gray on. He wore a silver chain that clinked against his gun's handgrip. "Tell me what he said."

"He wanted the locations of all the evidence lockers and storage units the Chief has us guys check in on every now and again."

Zeref nodded. "Good. Good. And you gave them over?"

"What do you think?" Maybe he was at gunpoint, but he didn't have to be _cordial_ , right?

Zeref's smile was slow. "Guess the kid's right—Lucy is the kind of girl guys talk for, huh?"

"She's a nice girl."

"I'm sure she is," Zeref said. His mouth turned down, revealing his distaste for the next question that revealed him to be something other than omnipotent. This was no place for pride. "Did he say where he was getting to? His plan?"

"No," Gray replied. "He sent me off to let you out of jail and... here we are."

Zeref's smile was lopsided and dipped in affection. "Natsu's a good kid."

Gray knew better than to challenge the statement; Zeref Dragneel was notoriously fierce about his brother. He asked, "Why are we going to Bristol? What's there?"

"Maybe nothing," Zeref said absently.

"Then _why_ are we going?"

"A hunch," Zeref replied.

* * *

"You should be watching the road, not me," Erza said sharply.

He didn't break eye contact, staring at her for too long to be safe. Erza's heart was hammering as they whirled down the road at a dangerous speed. Her hair was a mess, knotted and wild around her face. Her dress was grabbed by the wind and pushed around her legs. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared, but she was also _thrilled._ As she was when she'd grabbed Gajeel Redfox, she'd never _felt so goddamn alive._ It made her hand quiver on Gray's gun and made her breath run short.

"What's your name?" He had a nice voice, which was unexpected, his words spoken evenly, carefully. He wasn't afraid. Erza wished he was.

"It doesn't matter."

"Awe, don't be like that. A nice dame like you climbs into my car, fierce as hell. Struck me through the heart. What's your name, doll?"

 _Fierce._ She liked the sound of that. It made her giddy. Her palm was sweaty and her arm was aching. The gun wasn't _very_ heavy, but holding it up for so long and gripping it _so tight_ was getting tiring. She let it drop a fraction of an inch and said, "I'm Erza Scarlet." One day, it would be _Constable Scarlet_.

He had a nice smile. That, too, was unexpected. "My friends call me Jellal."

"I know who you are," Erza said steadily. "Jellal Fernandez. You're a criminal. You run one of the crime syndicates in the city. You've made your fortune on dealing weapons and drugs."

He looked surprised, but rolled with the punch. He glanced at the road for the first time in too long and pulled out to pass a slow-moving sky-blue Cadillac, punching the gas down so the engine roared, though the way was _not_ clear. Wind whipped Erza's hair in front of her eyes, blinding her from oncoming traffic in short bursts. It didn't make her situation any less terrifying. She gripped the door handle so hard, her knuckles ached. With only seconds between them and an oncoming furniture truck, Jellal moved back into the lane, earning them a blast of a horn.

As calm as you please, Jellal looked over at her again. "You sure got my number, eh?"

Erza caught her breath. "All of the constabulary has your number. We just haven't found any solid evidence to arrest you yet." _Stupid_ , she thought. But, aside from her near run-in with that truck, she felt _powerful_ , gripping that gun, taking one of Magnolia's most infamous for a ride.

"What's your beat, Miss Scarlet? Where's the Chief send you to haunt?"

Erza tried to see if he was being facetious. She didn't know. "Why?" she asked warily.

"'Cause one of my guys told me this morning a lady cop had a mean right hook. It was you, wasn't it?"

Erza tried to identify the look in his eye. Fascination? A bit of adoration? She knew the feeling in her heart: pleasure. _Finally. Lady cop._ She did what she could to not let it get to her head. A clear reminder of her _actual_ predicament seemed logical. "I'm not really a cop."

Jellal looked between the road and her gun. "No? That looks like a MPD piece."

"It _is,_ " Erza affirmed.

"So you're a thief?"

Well, yes. She said nothing.

Jellal laughed. "You want to be a cop, Miss Scarlet?"

 _More than anything._

She didn't have to say a word; he saw through her. He glanced at the road again and drove right through a red light, narrowly avoiding getting taken out by a contractor's truck. Erza squawked and shrunk in her seat. "What the _hell_ are you doing?"

"I thought you wanted to catch up with that truck?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I want to be _alive_ when we do," Erza fumed.

In a honey-sticky voice, he asked, "Who's in there?"

"A constable," Erza said, not seeing a way to avoid the truth. As soon as Gray stopped and stepped out, everyone was going to see his uniform and _know._

"Unlucky for him. Didn't look like Zeref was feeling too friendly."

"He'll be fine," she said with conviction. He had to be. She had an earful to give him.

"I'm sure you're right. It's Natsu that's the loose cannon, not Zeref. Least, not very often."

If he was trying to make her uncomfortable, it was working.

They were quiet for thirty long seconds with only the sound of wind and traffic to entertain them. Jellal was the first to crack. "Must burn, knowing the Chief won't let you do what you love. Constable Scarlet has a nice ring to it."

"He's reviewing my application," Erza said defensively, though _why_ she was entertaining the conversation, she _didn't know_.

"I hate to break your heart—" Actually, it looked like he loved it very, very much. "But you know Chief Heartfilia's never going to let a woman on his force, right?"

 _Never._ "Mind your own business," Erza said finally. "You're here to drive the car, but you're not necessary. If I wanted, I could take it and you'd be walking."

"I like this car quite a lot, Miss Scarlet."

The threat was clear. She wouldn't be intimidated. Jellal was the one with the gun on him, after all. "Then it would be doubly shameful, wouldn't it?"

Jellal's mouth curled. "Yes, Ma'am." He focused on the road again. His eyes, anyway. "Plans this evening?"

"What?"

"I have a place called Halo. Front's nothing great. The back, though… it's the life of the party. Dame like you, you'd look good in there. What do you say?"

"Are you asking me out?" Erza asked incredulously.

He smiled like the Big, Bad Wolf. "You're fiery. I think you'd be good company."

Erza found her wits. "I think dating a criminal would be bad for my career."

"I think that depends upon your career," Jellal countered.

"I want to be a _constable_ ," Erza said clearly.

"You want to carry a gun; you want to make bad people pay. You want to do the footwork, bully people into doing good. But you don't have to be a constable to do that, right?"

Erza only looked at him.

"I'm always looking for people just like you. Like I said, you'd look good in Halo. Want to wear slacks? That's cool. Dresses? Sure. You're the boss. I'll put a Smith and Wesson in your hand and, baby, you can pull the trigger whenever you want."

Slacks and a shirt and suspenders. She'd have a gun on her hip and a cool line on her lips she'd say to people that didn't follow the rules. Something awesome like, ' _Crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor,'_ like John Huston said in _The Asphalt Jungle._

 _Don't get lured like a moth to flame, Erza,_ she scolded herself. She said, "There's a problem with that. It's _illegal." Illegal. Illegal._

He made a left. Gray's truck was three cars ahead of them, driving dangerously through the streets, not really slowing for pedestrians or other cars. "One day you're going to see that the Lawmakers aren't going to accept you. When that happens, I'll be happy to take care of you."

"Drive."

"Think about it."

Her neck was hot. " _Drive._ "

* * *

The storage units had a white façade and red doors. There was three lines of them. Every single one of them was windowless, which meant that Natsu was going to be relying on his sense of smell and hearing. Worst things had gotten him by.

Without any cops in the vicinity, he was a little more relaxed, but only a fool would be lax. Situations changed. He walked Lucy through the units, choosing the middle one for her to set up shop because the fence at the end of the parking lot was pushed down some. They could leap over it with ease if they needed to.

"That's our escape route if things go south." He pointed. "Run and keep running, don't stop for nothing. If we get separated…" He searched her eyes. "I'll understand if you take off. I could still use your help, though. If you change your mind, meet me at twenty-five Bristol Avenue."

Lucy looked at him like he was crazy. He felt plenty insane.

"Got those smokes?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Well, light one up. Look casual, like you're waiting for your beau or something."

She put her back against one paint-flecked wall and fumbled with the package he'd given her.

Natsu asked, "You've never even held one before, have you?"

Lucy shook her head.

 _Princess_ was on his tongue. Natsu choked it back and felt less for it. _Going soft,_ his guts told him. Zeref came through and curbed his sharp tongue. _Be nice._ Lucy couldn't help that she was such a good girl. "Here." He held out his hand. Lucy passed over the package. He knocked one out, lit it, and gave it back to her when the smoke was coiling. "Don't inhale if you're not used to it. Just… stand here and do your best to look like a skid. With any luck… you'll manage to look just like everyone else."

It was clear she didn't know what to make of that. Natsu didn't, either. The scarf she wore was cheap, so were the sunglasses. That dress, though… anyone looking would _know._

 _Maybe you're just being paranoid._ Yeah.

Lucy tried an experimental puff on the cigarette. She didn't throw up. She didn't cough. She blew out the smoke carefully, though she _did_ get some in her eye. She squinted. In her momentary blindness, Natsu took the opportunity to tap her cheek briskly. "Good stuff. Keep your eye out for cops, sweetheart."

Lucy looked startled by the contact. Natsu flashed her a grin she didn't return and left before he could wonder if she was going to play a disappearing act without provocation.

* * *

Lucy felt foolish standing there with a cigarette burning between her fingers. Sometimes, her father would smoke a cigar. She didn't like the smell of that anymore than she liked the smell of _this._ It got in her eye again.

The keys at her neck were hot. Lucy looked around covertly. Natsu was gone. He'd left with his nose in the air; she imagined that's how he was still, sniffing like some kind of freaky dog, looking for his friend. She didn't ask if he could _actually_ smell Happy. She didn't want to know. People weren't _supposed_ to be able to smell like that.

Her keys got warmer. Lucy gave the deserted parking lot one more glance, then invited Loke out of the celestial realm. He looked mad as a badger, agitated and intense. "Come on, Lucy." He grabbed her hand, making her drop her cigarette, and started to pull her away. She lagged, feet two concrete pillars.

"Lucy," Loke insisted. "Hurry up, we have to go _now_ while he's busy."

She saw the validity in his words and appreciated the sentiment. However… "If my dad's really taking these people, Loke, isn't it my responsibility to help?"

"No, it's your responsibility to keep yourself safe first and foremost. Which means _run_ _away_. After that, it's your responsibility to tell a police force that will _do_ something about this. It's your responsibility to report your father for everything he's done. But you can't do that if you're _here_ playing lamb."

Lucy shook her head. "I'm _not_ playing lamb. I have my own gun; I have my keys if I need you guys. I'm—I'm doing something important, Loke. Yeah, maybe it's dangerous, but everything worth doing _is_ , isn't it?"

"I can think of a lot of worthwhile things to do that aren't that dangerous," Loke murmured.

Lucy recognized the tone of his voice and knew she was on the cusp of a _not very decent_ remark. "Thank you for coming, but you should go back until I need you. People will recognize me with you at my side."

"Like they won't recognize that pink haired bozo?" Loke returned.

Lucy sighed. "He's wearing a hat."

" _Infallible,"_ Loke replied sarcastically. " _My_ , where did you come up with that?"

Lucy kept the rudeness to a minimum. "Just let me do this, Loke. If things start going badly, I'll call you right away and we'll make a break for it."

It wasn't good enough, they both knew it. "Lucy… your kindness is something special, _really,_ but you need to think about yourself. _Despite_ the danger of running around with a pack of criminals, I read that text just the same as you. Your dad needs someone of equal power to your mother. You might not think he's hurting enough to go to such extremes, but I'm not willing to find out."

"We're talking about sacrificing people, Loke," Lucy said.

"Something that _he's done._ "

"Well, we're talking about sacrificing _me,"_ she clarified, which was the lynchpin.

"You're faith is _heartwarming._ Seriously. I don't trust it, though. I _don't_ ," he said more firmly when Lucy opened her mouth to protest again. quietly, Loke said, "I didn't think he'd kiss you, Lucy, but he did. Then I didn't think he'd touch you, but he did. I didn't think he'd—"

 _"Enough_." Lucy's cheeks were hot. Her skin _crawled._ "Please, Loke." Her eyes were burning. She _hated_ that feeling. She blinked and blinked. "I'll help and then I'll leave."

He looked angry enough to yell. It was a close thing. Two deep breaths later, he said, "You should get on the next train out of here. Stop in Crocus. Make up a _statement_ with their police department, Lucy, _sign it_ , and have your father _arrested._ The time for redemption was gone the minute he took someone's life in the name of this crusade."

 _It's the truth_. She _knew_ it. ' _I'm not sure I'm doing you any favours.'_

"Lucy." Loke touched her cheek, forcing her to meet his eye.

"I will," she said eventually. "I promise, I will. But I need to do this, Loke. What if he's taken other people since Happy? What about their friends and family? All of these people are suffering because of me."

"They're suffering because of your _father,_ " Loke said sharply.

"And I should fix it if I can. I'll call you when I need you," she said.

Loke was shaking his head, Lucy was closing his gate.

* * *

Every time Natsu put his ear against one of the storage unit's doors and heard _nothing,_ every time he lifted his nose in the air and smelled _nothing_ , he got a little more disheartened. He kept going. On the wind, he heard an unfamiliar voice, and Lucy's. He came around the corner of the last building and listened shamelessly, making up escape plans if the gig was up. Then he heard Lucy say, ' _I'll call you when I need you'._ Popping his head around the corner and seeing a man fade into golden light stilled his hand from grabbing the gun at his hip. His fingers remembered breaking that spirit's neck.

Maybe things didn't have to go that way today.

He checked the final storage unit. There was nothing. What a giant disappointment. A huge waste of time. Glancing up, there was no red flare in the sky. Happy was still on the lam.

 _Fuck._

On to the next.

* * *

They weren't driving for long, weaving in and out of traffic in a race to keep Gray's truck in their line of sight, but it was long _enough_. Long enough for Erza to chew a hole in her cheek. She was mad at Gray, _sure_ , but she kept thinking, _what happens when that truck stops? Does Zeref get out and say, 'thanks for the ride, Lawman' and put a bullet in his head?_

And then who would be left to mourn Gray Fullbuster? She, Erza, Lucy? Lucy, who was still lost. Lucy, who was running?

 _Gray's not going to die._ She still had to pay him back for kicking her out of his truck. It was disrespectful. Especially when he'd been touching her not ten minutes before. Like, _really_ touching her. Her body was hot just thinking about it. She was giddy, enjoying the memory of the way he looked at her. Femme Fatale indeed. He could call her Marie Windsor and scoff. And yeah, maybe it had its ups and downs. But _hell_ , she was good at it, and _hell,_ it was fun.

 _And dangerous_. The man beside her reminded her of that without having to say a word. That was okay, she was sure she had the upper hand. When he'd pulled over his Corvette on the side of that little country road, Erza had almost told him to keep on moving, recognizing him from the files she'd peeked at, but her heart said, _no._ Her heart said, _this is perilous, but I can do it._ In she went, out came the gun, their mad chase began and the rest was history.

Jellal laughed beside her, low and deep. "What the _fuck_ are they doing here do you suppose?"

Erza realized that they were slowing, turning onto a road called Bristol Avenue. She didn't have an answer, obviously. Ahead, the truck slowed and made a hard right. It looked like they were turning into nothing, but then they got closer and an underground parking lot became visible.

"Slow up," Erza said, pressing the gun into Jellal's side to show him she meant business.

He gave her a dry look. "Have you ever shot someone, doll?"

 _No._ He didn't need to know that. She wasn't a very good liar, though. "There's a first time for everything."

He laughed again, this time it was more genuine. "Yeah, Erza, there is." His foot came off the gas and eased the break. The dusty orange truck ahead disappeared. They waited on the low traffic street, two cars passing them the opposite way but none from behind. Almost a minute later, at Erza's behest, Jellal nosed his Corvette into the narrow down-curved ramp.

It was dark inside, protected from the light of the blinding sun, and cool. Immediately, Erza's skin lifted in a chill. With concrete on either side, the underground parking lot looked just like any other, narrow parking spaces, a parking tenant to collect money from anyone that pulled into the underground garage. The car sloped toward the bright yellow lift gate. Erza tucked her gun into the seat at her back so the woman working the booth didn't get alarmed. No one _cared_ if you were one of the good guys, a gun was a gun.

The woman in the booth—pudgy with short dark hair fashionably curled—took one look at Jellal and smiled. "Mr. _Fernandez_ , it's been quite a while."

Apparently, judging by her greeting, Jellal wasn't a stranger to flirting. Erza didn't know why it left her feeling miffed. But it did. _It's because he was trying to take advantage of you. Because you're a woman._

She felt righteous and empowered all over again. He may have said the right words on the way there, _(Fierce, Constable Scarlet)_ but he thought she was an empty-headed twit. Well, _damn_ him.

"Miss Pelican, you're looking lovelier than usual," Jellal said, further spiking Erza's ire.

The woman blushed. "Thank you, Sir."

 _Sir._ Like he was someone of _status._

"I just let through Mr. Dragneel." Miss Pelican got serious. "He looked like he needed help. There was a girl with him that wasn't in a good way."

"Thank you," Jellal said, "I'll find them and see they get what they need."

She muttered some bullshit about him being _so kind_ and lifted the gate. The rest of her words were lost to the sound of the Corvette's wheels rolling over the pavement.

"That's some fan club you have," Erza said dryly, taking her gun out again.

He smirked. "It pays to recognize people's worth?" he suggested.

 _Like hell_ , Erza thought. More like it pays to pay. But… if he was being genuine and saw _her_ worth… _Don't think about his offer._ She was more righteous than that, right? _The constabulary will come through._ Of _course._ She wouldn't sacrifice her dream and her morality for something so unsavory. "What is this place?" she asked, looking at the parked cars mostly filling up the dank and dingy space.

"A smelting factory," Jellal replied. "Or it was. It's decommissioned now and has been since the downtown core started expanding and the municipal buildings moved out this way. The underground parking lot is used mostly by the Mayor's office."

"The Mayor."

"The one and only," Jellal replied.

"Does he _know_ this building belongs to you?"

His smile didn't fade. "Of course. _Most_ of these buildings belong to me."

Of course.

They came around one of the narrow corners. Gray's truck came into view, parked alone in a long stretch of empty parking spaces. Erza's heart moved into her throat. She wanted to look around the doors for him when she saw the cab was empty. She was afraid of what she'd see. _Be braver than that. You'll have to be if you want to be a constable._ "Park here."

Jellal pulled the Corvette into the space beside the truck and threw his car in park. Then he turned and faced Erza. "It's been a real pleasure, Miss Scarlet."

"I wish I could say the same."

"You had a good time," he said with surety. "Fun, even, if I know that glow in your cheeks."

Processing that and finding a way to respond, Erza lifted her gun higher in an attempt to remind him he was still at her mercy. "It was work, not fun."

"Are you going to shoot me now?" Jellal asked.

"Of course not," Erza said. "Not unless you do something to provoke me."

"Then it's rude to point guns."

She didn't get to reply, a sliver of shadow to the left of the Corvette's hood came alive. It was lightning quick, rolling over the hood of the car, ducking into the interior, and grabbing Erza by the throat. She was lifted into the air as high as possible, prevented from exiting the car completely by her seatbelt. Shadow was shadow. It was supposed to be incorporeal. Yet, her neck felt like it was going to break in its grip.

Sure fingers plucked the gun from her hand. Erza glanced out of the corner of her eye and watched Jellal drop it to his car's red interior rug.

"Don't kill her, Zeref. Miss Scarlet didn't mean any harm. She's just trying to do the right thing."

The shadow stopped being what it was to take the form of a man. Zeref came into being on the bench seat between the two, looking mean. He still had his hand on Erza's throat, though she wasn't being lifted any longer. His fingers were tight. Finally gifted with something to grab, Erza clutched his wrist in two hands, trying to squirm away. Zeref ignored her digging nails and asked, "Which was _what_ , exactly? Why were you following us?"

Jellal waved. "At the lady's behest. She wants that constable back that you took. What brings _you_ here?"

Eyeing Erza, Zeref said, "Dreg House's burning."

"I saw that," Jellal replied. "Doesn't answer the fucking question, though, does it?" He sounded very dangerous in that moment, not the man that had smiled in his car and asked Erza out that night, but the cold, calculating socialite that climbed his way to the top from Magnolia's bottom dregs.

Zeref, to his credit, didn't flinch. "I didn't plan on staying long. Just long enough to get my people together and get out."

"When you sold it, part of the agreement was that you'd never come back," Jellal said. "Now the cops are looking for you and you're here, in my house." There was power coming from his skin, the kind that made Erza's blood roar in her ears. Zeref's own magic wasn't silent, either. If they were doing some kind of display, being between them seemed like a very bad place to be. Erza dug her fingers into Zeref's wrists and struggled. His nails, though short and clipped, dug into her skin. She was going to have marks there for sure, if she lived.

Zeref and Jellal remained in a deadlock for one heartbeat, two. Then Zeref took in a breath and let the tension come from his shoulders; his grip on Erza remained unchanged. "Look, it's a really long story, friend. No insult was intended. Natsu wasn't thinking. I just need to get my people and I'll be out of here. I'll take care of this girl and no one'll know we were here. Won't happen again."

 _Take care of_. God. _They're talking about killing me._ Black spots appeared in front of Erza's eyes, not all of which were oxygen related.

"You want to kill Miss Scarlet. What about the constable you had driving you around?"

"I need him," Zeref said. "He's going to do something real important for me."

Jellal leaned back and looked at Erza behind Zeref, considering. Eventually, he said, "Listen. Let the girl go, she won't be any more trouble. I'll let you go upstairs and get your people and we'll go our separate ways, right? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. In the name of our old friendship."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Look at her, you don't want to snuff that fire out, do you?"

Zeref said, "She's going to make problems."

Erza had heard it before. She was a _problem maker._ And a threat to her life wasn't going to make her change her ways, either. She came here for one thing.

Jellal said, "A dame like her? Sure. But I think I can offer her something that might make her more cooperative."

Zeref's fingers loosened. Erza gasped in a noisy and painful breath, coughed, and rasped, "I'm not the kind of girl that can be bought out."

Jellal eyed her eying the gun at his feet. He even nudged it closer to her, daring, just to see how far she'd go. She almost went for it, too, stalling only because he said, "I can make you a constable. And legally, too. Commissioner Brim is an old friend of mine. One call and you won't have to rely on Chief Heartfilia changing his antiquated views."

 _Just one call._ Then she thought, _Men like Jellal Fernandez are liars_. Erza swallowed tightly. "Where's Gray Fullbuster?"

Zeref answered, "Busy."

Erza rubbed her throat and looked at them warily.

"I only want your cooperation, Erza. I don't want you to meet an unsavory end," Jellal said. "Can you walk out of here and forget about all this?"

She was ashamed that she actually thought about it. For just an instant. Then she remembered who she was. "Not without Gray."

"A smart girl would know when her life's being offered to her, Erza," Zeref said. "You should leave now while you have the chance."

"I want to see Gray," she said stubbornly.

"This is my mess," Zeref said finally, "Let me take her, Jellal, you bugger off. This'll all be cleared up by this time tomorrow and you won't be implicated."

Jellal looked at Erza one more time. There was a lot in that look, all kinds of things that made Erza's skin crawl in the best and worst ways. "I tried, Erza." To Zeref he said, "Don't do her on my property. Looks bad if the cops come this way."

"Yeah."

She didn't have time to blink; inky black shadows snapped around Erza's wrist and her mouth, her chest, pinning her arms to her body, her thighs, tightening. Zeref unclipped her seatbelt and pushed her out of the car. Erza hit the ground, smelling oil and rubber and concrete. Her heart beat hard, but she wasn't scared.

The Chief was right; women did have certain charms.

And when men like Zeref Dragneel underestimated them… well, it just made the coming coldcock all the sweeter. She bided her time.

* * *

The next storage unit was a bust, too. Natsu smelled out all of the stuff the police had locked away in there that they likely didn't want anyone knowing about: a stash of Flak Jackets would go for a good dime on the street, the spare uniforms would be almost worthless, unless you were in the business of impersonating a cop, which he'd been known to do time and again. He made notes of those things, sure that they might come in handy in the future if they wanted to give the cops a good kick to the ribs.

They got away without incident, there were no police following them, no curious eyes lingering, and, Lucy said there was no red flare that hit the sky.

Natsu didn't know whether to be thankful for that or not.

The next spot they hit was on Norton Drive. Another bust, a storage unit better kept than the last, housing old cop cars that were soon to go to auction.

The forth place they went to was on Rayven Road.

As soon as they stepped onto the street, Natsu spotted a Tudor with _Magnolia Police Department_ stenciled in white and knew in his bones that this would be different. His adrenaline spiked, his palms sweated. Beside him, Lucy didn't look any less anxious.

"This is it."

"This might not be it," Lucy told him.

"This is it," he reaffirmed and tugged her down an alley between a lawyer's office and an insurance broker, going between dumpsters filled with shredded paper full of sensitive information, all to avoid the two police officers that wandered back to their car.

From this angle, he couldn't see them get in, he could only hear the doors close, the engine purr to life.

A beat later, the car rolled by.

Lucy spoke. "Seeing a cop car doesn't confirm that this is where Happy is."

"It's the only cop car we've seen all day."

Her thoughts were clear: they didn't know what the other team had run into.

"This is it," Natsu said again with conviction because if he believed it, it might be true. "Same as before, we'll do a walk around, scope the place out, then move in. Okay?"

She wetted plump lips. "Okay."

 _Okay._ Natsu fixed her scarf again, not because it really _needed_ adjusting, but because he had an awful lot of nervous energy and needed to do _something_ with it. _Okay._ He held out his hand. Lucy looked at it before she took it.

"Remember, anti-frantic." He told her, yet he was the one who was twitching.

"Yeah."

"Let's walk."

Natsu held her close, coming out of the alley. The street was all but deserted. There were a few people walking the opposite way, a woman with a small poodle, a man with a newspaper. No cops. None out front, none around the sides of the huge windowless warehouse Gray had named, and none out back. There was a staff entrance on the side of the building, five rollup doors, a loading dock. On the way around the south side, Natsu grabbed the door handle and tried it. It was locked. That wasn't much of a problem. He kept on walking, bringing Lucy around the back again. There was no fence to leap this time, just an empty parking lot. They'd be exposed if they had to run.

He only got more nervous.

A hydro box abutted the building. Lucy followed his eyes to it and released his hand without having to be told. Pink cheeked, she went to the cool, shaded metal, and leaned her back against it. Natsu watched her open the wrinkled cigarettes she still had. He didn't have to light it for her this time, she'd figured it out. She blew out a short line of smoke impatiently and put one foot against the metal box in a casual stance. Her arm went below her breasts, her elbow rested in her palm. Her yellow dress made her skin look illuminated in the shade. She almost looked comfortable.

"You look boss. Just a little more work and you'll be a bonafide criminal, Luce," Natsu teased. "You kind of like this kind of work, don't you?"

"It's Lucy," she corrected almost immediately. He wasn't fooled, there in that _moment_ of hesitation, that blink, she almost smiled. Then forced her lips flat. "And I don't like it. What a stupid thing to say."

"Yeah? Because you have a gun, you have your keys, your magic, you're taking charge. When was the last time you've had so much control?" With every word, he knew he was hitting the nail right on the head. Lucy's pinked cheeks only got pinker.

"Just go look."

He took one last look at her. She did actually look boss in her sunglasses and scarf, that cigarette between her fingers, not much like the snivelling, useless aristocrat he'd pulled from her bed, not with the bulge of the gun's handgrip between her breasts pushing her dress out just slightly. Seeing her like that made it seem like the great divide between them wasn't so great.

 _Whatever you're thinking… don't. She's still that aristocrat. She's still checking out the first chance she gets._

He committed the image to memory all the same.


	18. Chapter 18

Melting and mangling the lock was easy work. Natsu had done it a hundred times. Why learn to pick locks when you could just ruin them? Discretion was the answer. Zeref had voiced his wish for Natsu to be more _discrete_ countless times, but Natsu had remained _untouched_ for so long, he thought _why bother?_ After all, the cops knew it was him whenever he did a B and E. The trick was, they could never find him. He always thought of the twisted piece of metal he left behind as a calling card of sorts, a taunt.

After so long, his sense of immortality faded some as he pushed open the warehouse door, revealing its shadowed innards. None of the lights were on, yet his nose did everything his eyes could not. This was the place. He knew without a doubt. _Without a doubt._ There was blood on the air. So much. Sweat, salt. Metal.

His feet had a hard time moving, his hand shook as he found and then fumbled with flicking on the stiff light switch on the wall. Finally, he figured it out and it went up with a decisive _click_. One by one, fluorescent lights buzzed to life, rolling down the ceiling, _snap, snap, snapping_ into life. Polished concrete floors greeted him, gleaming grey, a wide, wide room, empty except for the things in the center: two clear glass tube-like coffins that looked like they belonged in _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ or _Forbidden Planet_ or something. Inside the first was a woman with golden hair as fine as spider's silk. Layla Heartfilia. Not that he could see her face, her back was to the door, but who else would have hair so ryegrass-pure? Even from this distance, Natsu knew that if he were to touch it, it would be just as soft as her daughter's. His eyes moved to the next tube. His heart _squeezed._ There was Happy. The boy's eyes were closed and his skin was pale. His mouth was as slack as his fingers. With a mask over his nose and mouth, he was suspended in the same kind of fluid Layla Heartfilia was, except his was tinged red where hers was clear.

"Happy!"

Of course, there was no response. Natsu moved in blindly, forgoing the need for secrecy or tact. Even when his hands hit the tube's cool glass, he didn't believe it.

" _Happy_."

Tapping didn't make him twitch.

Natsu searched for a latch to open it and found what he was looking for: a piece of brass holding everything together. It wasn't so easy to come apart. Natsu forced it, breaking the latch. That didn't fix the problem. He went after the glass next, hitting it with a short, decisive punch. It shattered, spewing red water everywhere. Glass dug into his fingers. He barely felt the pain, grabbing the tube's metal frame and _yanking_ hard enough that the remainder of the seal snapped, releasing the door the rest of the way. All of the water came gushing out, soaking the floor and Natsu's boots and pants. Happy stopped listlessly floating and collapsed, limp and _less._ The kind of less people were when they didn't have a heartbeat or draw breath. Natsu grabbed him out anyway, tearing the mask from his face and dragging him to the floor where he put him down and tapped his cheek.

"Happy? Happy, look at me. Happy?"

There was no response. The blood rushed to Natsu's head. Panic was fast approaching. _You know how to fix this. Think. Be smart_. He laced his fingers together and found the center of Happy's chest, then pushed rhythmically like he'd seen a doctor do to a child in the hospital, when he was young and put in for pneumonia.

* * *

Lucy told herself she was going to stay _right there_ , but when she heard Natsu call Happy's name and then the sound of breaking glass, her curiosity and excitement (and fear) wouldn't be quelled. Sure it was the right time, she set off the flare, dropping it to the ground and watching it lift into the sky. It seared bright red for twenty-five seconds high against azure blue, then burned out.

When the last of the red stain had disappeared, she glanced around the parking lot quickly—it was still deserted—and jogged to the entrance Natsu had disappeared into. The door was hot beneath her palm, some of the metal he'd melted with his fire still a little less-than-solid. She was careful not to touch it, not wanting to get third-degree burns, grabbing the edge of the door with the tips of her fingers and pulling it open.

As soon as she could see inside, she wished she couldn't. It wasn't the scene she'd been expecting. Her eyes focused first on her mother. She could only see her back through the glass tube she was trapped inside but knew it was her from the long elegant slope of her fingers, from the tangle of golden locks of her hair, not twisting in the currentless water, but drifting limply.

Lucy swallowed tightly. She didn't imagine…

Though _what_ she had imagined, she didn't _know._

She dragged in a breath when black spots appeared in front of her eyes, reminding herself to _breathe,_ and looked for Natsu. He was only steps away from her mother, kneeling in a puddle. He pumped and pumped, the chest beneath his hands moving down, spongy. It was quiet enough in the room that above the soft trickling of the water moving down the drain, Lucy could hear the _grinding_ of broken bone as Natsu tried CPR.

Natsu's breath came out in a weak _whoosh_. He sucked one in again and plugged Happy's nose, opened his mouth, and passed him a breath. The boy's chest rose, fell. Natsu put his ear down around Happy's mouth, listening, waiting to feel breath on his cheek. He went right back to it when he got neither, pushing down on Happy's chest and muttering, "Come on, come on, _please_."

Lucy watched, transfixed and horrified. She watched until Natsu was red faced and sweaty. She watched until it moved into the realms of ridiculousness and he was just _praying._

 _Stop him._

"Natsu?"

If he heard her, he didn't make any indication.

Lucy swallowed again and said louder, "Natsu? Natsu, I think—"

Natsu lifted his face. "Set off the flare, we need Wendy."

"I did," Lucy explained. "But—"

"Shut _up,_ " he said, aptly deciphering what she was going to say next.

Lucy flinched seeing the intense fury in his eyes and imagined leaving before things could get rough, before he decided he needed someone to blame for his friend's death and chose the closest target. _Don't run. Don't._ Because she knew there was something she had to do. Something she really, really didn't want to.

 _Do it anyway._

She didn't think she was brave enough to take her gun out again, not until it was in her hand and she was pointing it. Blood roared in her ears. She flicked the hammer down. Natsu didn't stop what he was doing, not until she pulled the trigger. Then he jolted and turned on her, looking between the gun and her face, and then her target. Water _rushed_ from the tank that held her mother, the bullet hole she put in the glass small at first but quickly widening with all the water pressure pushing on it.

Natsu turned from her and went back to what he was doing. It was fruitless. Needing to _do_ something other than watch her mother slowly sink against the glass or cry, she tucked her gun away again and went to Natsu. Touching his shoulder put a halt to his CPR. Not for long. Natsu jerked out of her grasp and pushed her back.

"Don't touch me."

"You have to stop."

"He needs my _help_ ," Natsu spat.

Lucy recovered and came on again, grabbing his bicep. "Natsu, _please._ He's gone, you can't help him."

" _No_ , he's _not_ gone _._ I need to do this until Wendy gets here. Then she can do the rest."

He was. He absolutely was. Lucy watched her mother die and knew the difference between 'on the brink' and 'over the edge.' "He's gone."

"He's _not._ " Natsu's voice echoed loudly off the concrete floors, the empty walls.

Lucy crouched and did what she thought any decent person _should_ and wrapped her arms around his chest from behind. "I'm sorry."

She wasn't able to stay that way long. Natsu pushed her back. Lucy fell on the wet floor, then scrambled to her feet. Natsu joined her, looking wrathful. Scared by his intensity, Lucy backed up, feet splashing through the water. She wasn't as fast as he was, closing the space between them with two quick and agitated steps. He grabbed her by the shoulders, hands both wet with blood and water and hot with magic, and squeezed so hard, Lucy thought her bones would break. His dark eyes were damp, full of pain and fury. "This is your fault."

 _Yours._ Lucy wanted to look away from the accusation in his gaze. She kept focused. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened."

His hands got hotter still, his fingers tightened. It seemed her inability to _deny_ it only made him angrier. The night he took her from Gray's cottage came back to haunt Lucy.

 _'And if he's dead?'_

 _'He won't be.'_

 _'He might be.'_

 _'Then I'll take something important away from Jude Heartfilia, Lucy.'_

She didn't know if she believed him or not, but when he let her go, hands twitching around the gun's grip at his side, Lucy didn't try to run, there wouldn't be any sense, she was sure he was faster than she was. She came for him again, meeting fury with gentleness, cupping his cheeks between her palms and meeting his eyes so he could see how sincere she was. "You're right. It is my fault, and I'm sorry."

His hand still closed on the gun.

Lucy pulled him close and hugged him. "I never wanted this to happen. I'm sorry," she said again. They stayed like that for several seconds, then he loosened. Like all of the fight went out of him, he sank to his knees and Lucy followed, kneeling in the water and the glass, feeling his chest convulse as he fought to breathe evenly. She held him tighter; he pressed his cheek against her shoulder.

Long minutes passed with only the sound of Natsu's uneven breathing to fill the silence. Lucy rubbed his back through his leather jacket, heart aching. All she could see was the boy named Happy. His mouth looked like it used to smile often, his eyes blue and dead but she was sure that they used to be lively. _This is because of me. Because of Dad_. If she wasn't so scared, she would have done something to stop him sooner. But she had been, and now people were dead. People that had people that cared about them.

When Lucy could bring herself to look away from Happy, it was to look up to see her mother trapped in that tube. She was pale as parchment with dark circles beneath her eyes. Without that liquid that Lucy was _sure_ was magic, her body began to degrade, her skin looking wrinkled and prune-like.

 _What did he have to give up to get the magic to keep her?_

 _I don't really want to know._

Because her eyes were lifted and she was facing the door, Lucy saw the figure fill the open doorway. At first she thought it was the other Den members. Then she saw the hat and the gun come off the hip and knew better.

"Natsu Dragneel, you are under arrest for the kidnap of Lucy Heartfilia and the murder of Earl Pembroke, and probably a dozen others, too. Put your hands on your head and step away from Miss Heartfilia."

Natsu didn't move.

"Hands on your head, or we will use force."

Natsu's fingers tightened in Lucy's dress. His breath came out in a hot burst against her neck. _God._ Lucy could _feel_ him filling with violence. "Natsu—"

"I _said_ stand and get away from Miss Heartfilia."

He released her and gathered magic. Feeling that, the cop got twitchy. "I said get up. Slow. Put your hands on your head and get away. Ten paces. Then I want you on the ground on your belly."

Lucy grabbed Natsu's jacket, her stomach rumbling with nerves. "No magic."

Fire ignited in his palm.

"Natsu—"

Natsu ignored her. Fire bloomed, an incendiary flower, and danced across the floor lightning fast. The cop was hit with the blaze. He yelled and pulled his trigger.

The rapport was deafening. Natsu jerked in Lucy's arms; his fire went out. He was still for a breath. Two, and then his lungs did something weird: hiccupped. Lucy's hand got wet and hot, blood rolling over her fingers. The world narrowed. Lucy looked up and found the constable. He didn't seem badly burned: her father had prepared his men for this altercation. The man was wearing some kind of fire retardant material, his pants were barely singed. His gun was lifted again. Lucy looked into that barrel, watching as the trigger was pulled once more, shattering the kind of peace that came with that first bullet. Natsu jerked again. His arms went limp. Lucy yelled without ever meaning to.

The cop moved into the warehouse, converging on Lucy's location while another took up residence by the door.

"Miss Heartfilia?"

"Is she alright?" one of the men asked.

"Seems like she's in shock. Let's get her out of here." Rough hands closed around her shoulders and tugged her back. Without her there to hold him up, Natsu collapsed. He didn't press his hands into his chest, he just laid there, eyes unfocused on the ground, soaked from whatever had been in that tube.

 _He's dying._

Or dead.

Coming alive, Lucy yelled again and writhed, fighting to get out of her captor's grip. The man that held her tightened his hold. He said something. Something like, _'Don't fight, Miss Heartfilia. You're safe. You're safe now._ '

 _'You're safe. You're going home._ '

 _No_. "Help him! He needs help!"

"He's a criminal, don't feel badly for him."

She wriggled, getting away by just an inch. "He _needs_ help—"

The cop grabbed her back again. "Come on. We have a car waiting outside ready to take you home. Your doctor is there waiting to look you over—"

Seeing no other option, Lucy opened Loke's gate; he was coming anyway. Loke appeared and, in the same second, hit the man holding Lucy with his elbow, catching him in the cheek. Startled and hurt, the cop let her go. Free, Lucy ran to Natsu. She didn't make it. Another gun went off, she felt Loke falter, and then hands clamped on her shoulders again. Lucy was lifted into the air and pulled back so hard, without the constable's hold on her, she would have fallen. In the struggle, she found Loke on the ground. He was down but he wasn't out.

The constable said, "Don't _fight_ , Miss Heartfilia. You've undergone a lot of trauma—"

Loke got to his feet and resorted to magic. It hit the man at the door, violently sending him back. He fell out into a square of sunlight, flat on his back, and didn't move again. Loke turned next to the man holding Lucy but hesitated giving him the same treatment, afraid of hitting her, too. Because of that, he was unprepared for the backup that rushed into the building. Two more bullets slammed through his chest and one between his eyes.

He disappeared before he hit the ground.

Mindless, Lucy called for Virgo next. She was put down just as quick. Aquarius' key was in her hand. The cop behind her held her so tightly, she couldn't get to the water on the floor. Screaming and kicking earned her some curses but that was all. When she lifted her weight, hoping to break his hold, he held her aloft and started carting her toward the door, stronger than he appeared.

"What's the matter with her?"

Lucy was barely able to focus on what they said.

"She's out of her mind. Cuff her."

 _.No._ Lucy writhed like a snake. "Let me go!"

" _Cuff her_ ," the man growled in her ear.

The other cop moved into the warehouse, cuffs lofted. Lucy was ashamed at how easy it was after that. She couldn't move, trapped in the vice of the police officer's arms. In a blink, she couldn't feel anything, not her spirits, not her magic. They dragged her out and left Natsu where he was.

* * *

The gun Zeref had given Angel to hold on Gray was slowly, slowly slipping as the girl edged toward exsanguination. Gray felt brave enough to stand in the stairwell and toe toward her. Her eyes came open only when he was at her side. He told himself he was an idiot for not just leaving. It didn't change what he was going to do.

Crouching, he met her blue eyes and said, "This is going to hurt. I'm sorry, but it might help." _Might._ Might not. Who knew?

Angel was so out of it that she didn't even respond. Gray plucked the gun from her hand and dropped it to the floor, then he touched her side, finding the bullet's entry and exit, and let his magic come. Her yell as ice filled the holes in her body was the first _real_ response she'd given him in long minutes. Her fingers found his jacket and squeezed, sweat pricked her brow, and then…

And then she went limp.

 _Fuck._ Gray thought at first she'd died right then and there, but then he saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She'd passed out. He grabbed up the gun, determined to get out while the getting was good.

But hesitated.

She needed help.

 _Damn it, just send in the paramedics._ Who knew how long it would be until he got to a phone, though? Or if Zeref would come out again and take her away before she could get treatment?

Gray grunted in frustration and went back for her, feeling dumb as he grabbed her around the waist, hefting her over his shoulder. She was heavy, deadweight. He moved for the stairs, determined to exit from the upper level instead of the underground garage.

He was three steps in when the man door leading to the garage burst open. Gray reeled, gun cocked. He had Zeref dead-to-rights. But hesitated, seeing the man's prize.

"Erza."

Bound head-to-toe in living shadows, her eyes fell on his. She didn't look scared. That was fine, Gray felt scared enough for the both of them with Zeref's gun pointed at her head and deep fingermarks bruised into her neck.

Zeref didn't loosen his hold on Erza as he took in Angel, he only asked, "Is she dead?" The question was delivered in a concise way, emotionless.

"No," Gray replied.

"That's good for you," Zeref said. "Drop the gun and get moving up the stairs."

Gray didn't move. "Let her go."

Zeref only jammed the gun deeper into Erza's temple. " _Move_."

Gray dropped the gun and moved.

* * *

The first thing Natsu was aware of was coldness. Coldness in his chest. And then wetness. He was soaked through. And then it was the wild swaying of the world. _You're in a car._ He cracked his eyes, peeking at a head of blue hair. Wendy's. Not Happy's. It was too long to be Happy's, and her roots were done, where as Happy had let his dark hair grow in some.

A hollowness filled Natsu's chest.

 _Happy…_

Happy was dead.

 _And you were shot._

Twice.

 _You were dying._

Staring numbly at the wet floor, tasting iron in his mouth, feeling his lungs reject air because they were too full of blood.

 _But not now?_

Wendy noticed his opening eyes. She leaned over him in the backseat, fingers pressing into his bare chest, her magic still pouring into his body, cool, soft, calming. "You're awake." There were tears in her eyes, lots of them. "Oh, Natsu. I thought you were dead. I thought—I thought it wouldn't matter what I did."

"Come on, Wendy. Stop the waterworks," Sting said from the driver's seat. "I told you he wasn't dead."

Wendy chose to ignore him. "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

Natsu licked dry lips. "Happy…"

"We have him," Rogue replied from the passenger's seat.

 _We have him._ Some life came back to Natsu. He pushed Wendy's hands aside with great effort. "Save your magic, you have to help him."

More tears came to Wendy's eyes. "I can't."

 _Can't._

"He's dead, Natsu. We—we're bringing him back and giving him a proper burial. Sting said he's got some rock he's going to sell to help pay for the funeral, and I pinched a diamond necklace last week I'll fence. He'll go in the ground, not off Monnet's Point—"

Natsu tuned her out, mind working overtime. Something wasn't right. "Lucy?"

Wendy dug her fingers into his chest. "She wasn't there. No one was but you and Happy and that woman in the tube—"

He tuned her out again, sluggish mind fighting to make sense of things. _The cops._ The cops were there and took her. He sat up; his head was spinning violently. Through all the disorientation, he growled, "Take me to the Heartfilia mansion."

Sting checked in the rear-view, looking to Wendy. Wendy shook her head, counting the seconds. _Three, two, one_. Blood loss caught up with Natsu like she knew it would. His eyes closed. He slumped back against the door of their stolen tan coloured Oldsmobile, out like a light. "Bristol, like we planned," Wendy ordered.

* * *

In the driver's seat of his truck once more, Gray guided the vehicle out like Zeref ordered. The lift gate was brought up, the woman in the booth watching their exit. Gray could hardly focus on her, he was too busy dividing his attention between the road and Erza, who was sitting closer to Zeref with Angel between them. She'd been gagged by a slick of shadow; that was gone now.

She hadn't said a word. She wouldn't meet his eyes, either.

He could throttle her.

He settled for driving, leading the Bel Air behind them, full of three girls that belonged to the Den, onto the road.

"Where am I going?"

"Right," Zeref said shortly.

Gray pulled the truck onto the road and narrowly avoided a speeding Oldsmobile. He cussed. The car pulled into the parking garage. Gray thought that was the last he'd see of it, but it did a U-turn and got back on the road, hot on his bumper.

"What the hell is going on?"

Zeref looked in the passenger's mirror and said, "Don't worry about it. They're my guys."

And _that_ was supposed to make him not worry?

"What are you going to do with us?"

Zeref turned to look at him more fully. "You're going to help me lure out a snake."

"A snake?"

"You'll see soon," Zeref avoided.

Gray kept his eyes on the road as he said, "Let Erza go. I'll cooperate."

Erza lifted her eyes and finally looked at him. There was a lot in that look: appreciation and stubbornness first and foremost. She wouldn't be thrown out so easily.

Zeref tightened his shadows on Erza's body, making her suck in a tight breath. "You're going to cooperate because of this dame here, now shut the fuck up and turn left at the lights."

Gray turned.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, on the fringe of a district the cops had given the unaffectionate name of Rat Nest, Zeref ordered Gray to pull into the driveway of a squat house with a white vinyl façade. It was just the kind of place that belonged in this part of the city: curling shingles, windows that had been busted out but were temporarily fixed with clear plastic taped in place, siding that was more brown than white with spider shit. The driveway was littered with weeds that grew up in the gravel, holding a car that was very much out of place.

The three-window lowboy Deuce coupé was as black as night and impeccably kept. It was a wonder a car like that didn't disappear in this place. But then Erza put everything together for him.

"That's Gajeel Redfox's car."

"Wow, you're bright, Miss Scarlet, aren't you?" Zeref asked. "Yes, that's Gajeel's car because this is Gajeel's place." To Gray he said, "Park in the driveway. And watch the car, he's sensitive about it."

Gray did what he said because what else was there to do? Zeref still had his gun trained on Erza and hadn't budged a bit. He read Gray well: he wouldn't try anything rash as long as Erza was there. _Fuck._ He could scream at her for hours and not feel satisfied.

Zeref said, "Take Angel again and get out. Slow."

Gray did, grabbing Angel below the legs and hauling her out just as the Bel Air and then the Oldsmobile pulled up by the street. The rest of the Den's members pooled out. Zeref halted, his hand on Erza's arm, and looked at the approaching troupe. Mostly, at his brother thrown over Sting's shoulder, covered in blood.

"He's alright," a girl with hair as blue as the ocean rushed to say.

Zeref's tension didn't fade. "What the fuck happened?"

"They found Happy," said Sting. "I think the cops were waiting for them. Lucy was gone and Natsu was shot up when we got there."

"Gone?" Gray asked.

Everyone glanced at him, but no one answered.

Zeref said, "Where's Happy?"

"Dead," Rogue reported. "In the trunk."

One of the girls that got out of the Bel Air, a platinum blonde, let out a strangled sob.

"Fuck."

"You have to let me go. I have to get Lucy," Gray interrupted again.

"No," Zeref said.

Just _no._

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?"

Zeref looked at him. "I'll tell you what, Mr. Fullbuster. I need an _hour_ of your time. If you put on a _real_ good performance, I'll consider letting you leave to get that girl."

"She might not _have_ an hour. Her father is probably going to pack her up as soon as she gets back to that mansion and—"

"Things are the way they are," Zeref said coldly. "Sorry." He turned back around and grabbed Erza's arm, pulling her along and up the split walkway. She stumbled along unevenly, her legs still bound around her thighs, making walking difficult.

"You're hurting her," Gray barked when she tripped.

Rogue stepped forward; a gun found the back of Gray's head. "Shut up and move."

Frustrated, Gray obeyed, watching as Zeref tugged Erza up roughly and hammered on the door without apology. Long seconds passed. He tried again. When there was no response, he grabbed the doorknob. It turned. They entered. Without the need for provocation, Gray hurried with Angel over his shoulder, desperate to keep up. At his back, the other Den members followed.

Inside the dank foyer smelled like drugs and cigarette smoke. Stale, though. There was nothing burning now. Zeref slowed up to—unbelievably—take off his shoes. "You, too, Lawman. This is a home," he said when he saw Gray looking.

 _Fuck yourself_ was on Gray's tongue. Erza kicked off her high heels and stepped on the yellow, grey and white tiled flooring, toes curling in her pantyhose. She still looked unafraid. Her eyes found his. He buckled without her saying a word and kicked off his boots. Behind him, the doorway was crowded with criminals. He stepped closer to Erza, feeling particularly vulnerable without any weapons, knowing that cops weren't welcomed in this part of town.

Zeref nodded and ventured further into the house. "Gajeel? You home? I need to call in a favour."

The sounds of _Gunsmoke_ pouring out of the TV drew them into the living room. Gray searched the small and carpeted space and found Gajeel on the couch. He wasn't alone, there was a girl straddling his lap in a pink dress that was halfway off her shoulders. She kissed him furiously, gasping as he pawed at her.

They didn't even know they had company.

Gray stared, he couldn't help it. Erza, as ever, was the quicker. " _Levy._ "

Gray thought she was wrong, she _had_ to be, but the girl squeaked, went rigid, and shot a quick look over her shoulder, hands clamped to her chest. Her eyes went wide. She got pale, then she got red. "Erza. Gray."

" _Levy_ ," Erza said again, not actually as _with it_ as Gray thought.

"I—um—" Levy floundered.

Zeref spoke over her. "You still watch that shit?"

"It's a good show," Gajeel defended. "You'd like it if you gave it a try."

"I have enough Lawmen in my life," Zeref muttered.

Gajeel looked Gray over, and then Erza, recognition coming over his face. He reached for a gun on the couch's armrest. "Brought me some guests? Thoughtful." He focused on Erza. "You and me, Red, we didn't get a chance to say goodbye proper last time."

Levy made a low noise of protest. "Don't hurt her." Gray wouldn't have believed it if he didn't see if for himself, but some of that hardness came out of Gajeel's eyes. His fingers loosened on the gun some.

Zeref said, "I need the girl because I need the cop for now. Just like I need your help. Dreg House is burning; the cops are looking for us; we need a place to get our shit together." Zeref glanced at Natsu still slung over Sting's shoulder. "This idiot got everyone together at Bristol. Your boss didn't like that."

"No, guess he wouldn't," Gajeel said. "And now you're here. How long do you think it'll be before they start looking in places like this, huh?"

"I just need a few hours," Zeref said. "You owe me, Gajeel."

"Like fuck I do."

Zeref's expression tightened. "Anyone that leaves the Den gets a bullet between their eyes, but not you. We left on good terms because I allowed for it. Now, you fucking owe me. Do this and consider us even, or I'll do what I should have done years ago."

Gajeel's fingers tightened on the gun again. Every Den member pulled out their own weapons, taking aim. Gray sweated. Erza, still bound, reached for him. With Angel in his arms, the only thing she could really grab was his bicep. He let her and instantly regretted it; she squeezed so hard, it felt like she was bent on breaking him. Across the room on Gajeel's lap still, Levy looked like she was going to faint.

"We're staying, one way or another," Zeref said.

"You shoot me, Jellal's going to have something to say about it."

"You know what I'm inclined to think recently, Gajeel? Everything's fucked," Zeref said. "Why not this, too?"

Gajeel let go of his gun. "You're mad as a fucking hatter, you know that?"

Zeref waved. The guns went down. "Thanks for your hospitality."

Gajeel tapped Levy's legs, getting her to slide from his lap. He rose and went to the window, twitching the dingy curtain back to look outside. "Don't thank me. Basement's yours. Get rid of those cars. This place has been quiet. I don't want that to change."

A girl in the back of the group spoke. "I'll take the truck and find a place for it."

Gray searched through the crowd and found the one that had escorted him from the Dreg House. _Juvia,_ his mind supplied. "Don't wreck it."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"Please," Gray begged, feeling pathetic but uncaring. "It's important."

Zeref said, "Keys are in the ignition, Juvia. Make sure it's not easily found, then get back here."

"Yes, Zeref."

"Hey!" Gray called again. "Please!"

She ducked out. Gray wanted to go after her. _All so you don't see your old man's truck off the edge of Dutch's Garage?_ He almost felt lunatic enough. _You'll put Erza in danger, too._ And Levy, because _what the fuck?_

The platinum blonde said, "I'll get rid of the Oldsmobile—if someone helps me with Happy, but I think we should keep the Bel Air. Just in case we need to get out of here quick."

"The cops are going to be looking for stolen vehicles, Carla," Zeref reminded her.

"It's my grannies," she said. "She won't report it missing."

"Fine," Zeref replied after some consideration. "Rogue, help her. Wendy—if Natsu's okay, Angel needs your help. Like, yesterday." He nudged Gray in the ribs with his gun. "Put her on the ground, Lawman."

Gray edged out of Erza's grip and put Angel on the floor, back leaning against one of the pine walls. She still breathed, so, so shallow. Wendy came on and got to work, scoffing only briefly at Gray's sad patch job. The ice was melting quickly now and the blood was starting to flow again, slower than before.

"Bring her down when you're done. Stay and help her, Flare," Zeref said to the final girl, one with hair almost as red as Erza's. Not waiting for a reply, he started pushing Erza again, through the house toward a set of stairs off the kitchen. Gray assumed he was supposed to follow and hurried to keep up. Behind him came Natsu, carted by Sting Eucliffe.

Gray did a count and realized that there was a member missing.

Zeref led them through a kitchen with pots in the sink and cans of coke on the counter. There were several ashtrays lying around, all full of cigarette butts. There was a baggy full of some fine white powder he was _sure_ was illegal, and a stack of cash on the counter. The constable in him was screaming. The man that wanted to keep himself and Erza alive was silent.

At the set of narrow wooden stairs, Zeref flicked on the light and made Erza go down first. He followed. Gray came down behind him, with Sting at his back. The basement was unfinished. It had insulation visible trapped behind a plastic barrier and a concrete floor. In one corner were stackable laundry machines and a wide white sink. On the other side was a dark brown couch that looked like it had seen better days and that was all.

Zeref pulled up short in the middle of the room. To Sting, he said, "Put Natsu on the couch and come here." His magic disappeared from Erza's body, allowing her to rub her red wrists. Zeref said, "Put your hands out, doll."

"Why?" Erza asked warily.

"Humor me."

"No."

Zeref locked the hammer of his gun in place. "Hands, now."

"Just do it, Erza." Gray's voice was much more strained than he'd planned.

Erza gave him a _what the fuck_ look. It was a look that dissolved into fury as Sting came up behind her and started patting her down, looking for weapons, Gray was sure. Sting didn't get far. Despite the gun on her, Erza reeled on him, fists raised. He wasn't expecting her to punch him so squarely, so when the blow hit home, he stumbled back, shocked.

Erza started for Zeref next. The man wasn't interested in playing. He chose a place just left of her cheek and squeezed the trigger. Her hair ruffled, grazed by the bullet that slammed into the wall behind her. Erza stopped in her tracks. _Finally,_ she was scared. Gray went for her. Zeref said, "Another move, Mr. Fullbuster, and I swear, I will paint you in her brains."

Gray stopped, feeling his magic roaring, his heart cramping. He scowled at Erza. She scowled back.

"I think you broke my nose," Sting said thickly, coming up behind her again. It looked it, too, he was soaked in blood, his nose immediately swollen.

"This one's not like other girls, Sting. Watch that," Zeref said, tossing him a handkerchief from his pocket.

Instead of looking flattered like she normally would, Erza looked soured by Zeref's assessment.

Sting cleaned up his face as best he could with his nose still bleeding. When the rag was soaked and deemed useless, finding a place on the floor, Zeref said, "Try again, check her for weapons, and then our constable."

This time, Erza held out her arms and accepted the search with more dignity than Gray did. They stripped her of a knife found between her breasts, a sharp pin she'd tucked into her hair, and a small Barretta she had in that damn leg holster. With each weapon they removed, she got crankier.

"Her earrings, too," Zeref said once the gun was taken away.

"My earrings?" Erza repeated.

"Can't be too careful," Zeref said.

Sting pushed her hair aside and plucked out the silver drops. They went into his pocket.

"I want those back," Erza said brazenly.

Sting moved on to Gray, finding spare bullets in his pocket, a lot of good that would do him, and a knife.

"Gee. The lady takes this more seriously than you do, Mr. Fullbuster," Zeref said.

"She took my spare gun," Gray felt obligated to say.

Erza had the decency to look ashamed.

Zeref said, "Sting, I need you to hunt down Erik and bring him back here. It's important that we're all together. I have a hunch he's probably at Kinana's daddy's place."

"Why would he be there?" Sting asked.

Zeref clapped him on the back and pushed him toward the stairs. "Cops chased us out of the Dreg House. Just look. Let him know that we're all here and that we could use his help."

He only hesitated for a moment. "Sure, boss."

The upstairs door opened and footsteps descended. Gray watched Levy's toes come into view, and then her thin legs. Her dress was on a little better now, and in her hand was a pitcher of water and a stack of plastic ups. Sting passed her on the stairs. She kept her eyes to herself. Even at the bottom, she had a hard time looking up. When she did, though, she met Gray's eyes and then Erza's, looking relieved to see them in tact.

"I brought you guys water."

"Thanks, Levy," Zeref said like they knew each other and poured himself a glass. "You're a sweetheart."

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Gray burst, finally pushed to his limit.

Levy flinched at his volume.

"Gajeel said you knew each other when we met," Erza said.

Confident now that they wouldn't be much trouble, Zeref went to the couch and dropped himself down by Natsu's feet. "Guess that's one word for it."

"What the hell does that mean?" Gray looked to Levy for answers.

"Is he blackmailing you, Levy?" Erza supplied. "Or keeping you here against your will? Or—"

"We're together," Levy spilled, cutting off what was sure to be a colourful supposition.

"Together?" Erza repeated.

 _Together._ Like, together, together.

"He's a criminal," Gray said and congratulated himself for pointing out the obvious.

Levy's cheeks were bright. "I know."

"How can you be together? He's—"

"I'm in love with him." Her admission brought silence.

"Love?" Erza said when she stopped choking on the word. "How could you love him? I watched him try to set someone on _fire_ —"

"The heart wants what the heart wants," Zeref offered from the couch.

"I can't fucking believe this," Gray said. "Levy, if the Chief _knew_ —"

"He does," she said defiantly.

"What?"

"He saw us together. He told me that he didn't blame me because women are so soft, but if I didn't stop, he'd fire me."

"Obviously he needs to step up his threat game," Gray muttered.

Levy shook her head. "I told Gajeel what the Chief said. He didn't like that answer. His solution..." She looked uncomfortable. "Well, I didn't want that kind of trouble. So he suggested that we follow the Chief and try to get some dirt on him. It took weeks and I didn't think anything was going to come out of it, but..." She wrung her hands together. "Finally, one night we spied him meeting with this guy Gajeel knows, Hades. I thought maybe he was just trying to arrest him, but they were talking about really dark stuff, bringing people back from the dead. I took a picture of them together, showed the Chief the next day like Gajeel said. He looked really scared, so I ran with it, bluffed and told him I knew everything…"

"Oh, you're _not_ blackmailing Chief Heartfilia," Gray said, putting the pieces together before she could finish.

"Yes."

Holy hell. She was serious. "Is that why he made me let Gajeel go?" Gray demanded.

Levy looked ashamed. "Yes."

" _Levy,_ " Gray groaned, sure that she was well and truly out of her wheelhouse.

"I'm not sorry for it." She didn't look it.

"Levy..." Gray said again. He wasn't sure what he was going to say. Lecture her? Levy was a smart girl, she had to know the danger she'd stepped in on, right? Only, maybe not.

"Listen," Levy said, interrupting his thoughts. "I just wanted to check and make sure you guys were okay. If you need anything else… just call. I'll see what I can do, okay?" She was up the stairs before anyone could say another word.

"Guess we could all take lessons from that peach, eh?" Zeref drank his water calmly. "A real ingénue, that one. Queen when she wants to put on a bit. Speaking of bits, ready to put on a good show, Mr. Fullbuster?"

Gray studied him cautiously, not much caring for the gleam in Zeref's eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

Wendy descended the stairs forty minutes later, looking wrung out. She carried Angel with Flare's help, the other girl taking Angel from beneath the shoulders while Wendy grabbed her feet. As soon as Zeref saw them and the tense look on Wendy's face, he knew something was seriously wrong. He waited patiently until Wendy was down in the basement before he asked any questions, needing to play things cool, otherwise the whole goddamn gig was up.

"How is she?"

"Exhausted," Wendy admitted.

"And?"

Wendy put Angel on the couch opposite Natsu without being asked. "Zeref…"

"Talk, Wendy." He was aware of the constable and his lady watching him. It made his skin itch with discomfort. _Cool. Be cool._

Wendy admitted, "Things didn't go the way I wanted them to."

Zeref kept on his best poker face, tricking himself into believing that his heart was beating regularly. "What do you mean?"

Wendy tangled her fingers in the hem of the white—and now blood-dotted—dress she wore. Her eyes found the concrete floor. "I was tired after Natsu," she said. "And Angel... she was hurt pretty bad."

Zeref glanced at Angel slumped over the armrest, leaning into Natsu's legs. She looked alright, her colour was good, her chest was rising evenly. _Wendy's just being Wendy._ "You did good. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Wendy looked like she could cry. "You don't understand, Zeref."

His cool was evaporating. "Spit it out, Wendy."

"I healed her, she'll wake up, but... but I couldn't fix up her leg, not the way it was supposed to be. Nerves are kind of funny. Complex."

It didn't sound _funny_. "What do you mean?"

"She means the girl's crippled," Gray spoke up. "Right?"

 _Crippled._ Everything boiled down to that one word.

"Just one leg," Wendy rushed to say. "The other is fine."

"Just one leg," Zeref repeated.

"Yes."

Cool was a memory. He didn't yell as he asked, "She needs two to dance, doesn't she?"

"Maybe—I can try again," Wendy said, sensing things were degrading fast. "As soon as I'm not so tired. Maybe I can fix it."

"You've done _enough."_

"Zeref," Wendy begged.

"Shut _up_ ," Zeref snapped.

"Don't be mad at her, Zeref, she tried," Flare interrupted. "She didn't do it on purpose—"

He didn't give his magic permission to do what happened next. One minute a shadow was just a thread of black on the floor, the next it was punching through one of Flare's clear brown orbs and exploding out the back of her head.

It took her seconds to fall.

Wendy screamed, coated in blood again. Erza Scarlet sucked in a breath. Gray Fullbuster held his lungs in arrest.

Zeref clenched and unclenched his fists, fighting to regain control. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ It had been a long time since something like that had happened to him. And now Flare was dead. _Fuck._

"Why did you _do_ that?" Erza demanded.

Zeref didn't see a time when admitting 'It was an accident' was a good thing. He kept quiet.

From the couch, Natsu stirred. Zeref didn't know whether to be thankful for the distraction or not, depending upon now Natsu felt about Flare's new state of being. He watched his brother press the palms of his hands into his eyes and breathe, in and out, in and out. His throat worked, trying to swallow. When he could, he swore. Zeref remembered what his feet were for. He went to the pitcher of water Levy left behind and refilled the cup he'd already emptied.

Natsu waited until he was standing at his side to take his hands away from his eyes. "Zeref? You got out?"

"Sure I did, told you the cops couldn't keep me long." It was relieving to see him, even if he was an idiot. Zeref kept his annoyance under better control; it was easier when he could see the holes in Natsu's shirt where the bullets had slammed through his chest. _If Wendy hadn't shown up._ He'd be dead. Just like that, he forgave Wendy for Angel. She did do her best. It was shitty, but when compared to how things _could_ have turned out, he wouldn't have it any other way. "How are you feeling?"

Natsu licked his dry lips and sat up a little more, taking the water. He drank it all down in one go. "Like hell," he said after swallowing. He dared to look around, turning his head slowly. Zeref imagined he was still spinning. He found Gray Fullbuster and his partner in crime, Flare's dead body, Wendy, shivering by the stairwell. The only thing he asked was, "Why are we in Gajeel's place?"

"Dreg House is burning." Or burned down by now. He tried not to think about all the cash, guns and other illegal paraphernalia that was now worthless as a pile of ash. If he did, he'd start killing people again and he needed everyone in this room.

Natsu came more alive. "Burning? Why the fuck is it burning?"

"Well, that's a good question, isn't it?" Zeref asked. "Either someone ratted us out and the cops knew exactly where to hit us, or one of our friends was trying to hit us while we were down." Either way, they'd succeeded.

Natsu looked at Gray again, anger coming to him. "It wasn't any friend; it was the cops. You said you'd keep your mouth shut."

The reality of the situation seemed to don on the constable. "I never told anyone where to find your shitty hideout."

"Bullshit, you liar. You led them right to our doorstep." Natsu sat up fully, jarring a sleeping Angel, to Zeref's chagrin. "I should have killed you a long time ago."

"You can just go ahead and try," Erza spoke up. "I'll lay you flat."

"Stay the fuck out of this, Erza," Gray snapped.

"No. The last time you thought I should 'stay out', you got picked up by a band of merry criminals, kicked around, and dragged into a goddamn basement. You need my help."

Natsu asked, "Who the hell is this broad?"

Erza stepped forward. "I'm Erza Scarlet."

He raised his brows. "Is that supposed to mean something?"

" _No_ , it's not," Gray stressed and tugged Erza back. Zeref watched them both, waiting for the moment she hit him. It was so, so close. She backed off at the last second, yet still jerked out of his grasp.

"Entertaining, thanks." He looked to Natsu. "You let this guy know where to find us?"

Natsu's inability to meet his eyes told Zeref everything he needed to know. "You fucking idiot." Hurt or not, punching him felt like the right thing to do. _Calm. Calm._ The police didn't need to know how on edge he was. _Like they don't already? Flare's_ dead.

"Look," Gray said in a pacifying way. "I know it looks bad, but think about it. Why would I torch the place I thought Lucy was in? I wanted to _save_ her, not fry her."

"You scoped the place out, saw that she wasn't there, and let loose?" Natsu braved Zeref's wrath to suggest.

"He wasn't torching the place or telling the cops where to find you," Erza said. "He was with me."

"Yeah? 'Cause the last time I checked, you were with Jellal," Zeref reminded her.

"Fernandez?" Gray interjected. "Why were you with him?"

The redhead closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was _overflowing_ with irritation. " _You_ kicked me out of your truck, _remember_?"

"So you get a ride with the biggest crime boss in the city?"

They continued their argument. Zeref tuned them out, more interested in Natsu getting to his feet and tugging at his ruined jacket. Beneath, his shirt was in even more disrepair. He hauled the jacket off and looked up the stairs. It was obvious what he was thinking.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zeref asked anyway.

"Lucy was taken by the cops," Natsu said as if it were just self explanatory.

"Yeah, she's back where she belongs. Happy's dead, this is _over_ ," Zeref told him. He didn't like that Gray and Erza had stopped their argument to listen, but short of tugging Natsu into the other room and leaving Wendy there to fend for herself, there wasn't much choice.

"I gotta get her back," Natsu said after shooting a look around the room.

"Things are the way they are," Zeref replied. "Now sit down and chill out. I need you here."

He didn't look very interested in doing that. "I have to go back for her."

What Zeref wouldn't give for some privacy. "Let me make this perfectly _clear._ You will be _shot on_ sight—that is, if little Miss Heartfilia is still there, which I'm not confident she is after Wendy spilled about what she found in that warehouse. If Jude Heartfilia was a _smart_ man, which I'm fairly confident he _is_ , he would have taken his daughter somewhere far, far away."

Natsu's jaw twitched. He glanced at his wrist, checking the time. It was almost six. It had been _hours_. But… "They might not have left yet."

"Do you _hear_ yourself? I want revenge for Happy, too, it wasn't right, but if we go now, we're done for. We have to bide our time."

"Revenge?" Gray interrupted. "What the hell do you mean, revenge? It wasn't Lucy that killed your friend."

Zeref dismissed him, more interested in watching the emotions flit over his brother's face. _You're imagining things,_ he thought when Natsu's face smoothed out again. But no, he knew his brother.

"I'm going after her."

Zeref grabbed his shoulder and met his eyes squarely so Natsu could see how serious he was. "Natsu, you're stubborn as fuck. I love you for it, but if you leave here after I tell you no, you're never coming back. Not ever. I make the rules to keep everyone safe, but no one's safe if no one follows the rules, right?"

A commotion rang out from upstairs, stealing Natsu's answer. Zeref cocked an ear, listening carefully and hearing exactly what he wanted to. To Natsu he said, "Sit tight. I got business, but it'll only take a few minutes. We'll finish this conversation after."

There was another argument in the works. Zeref gave Natsu his best _no bullshit_ glare. "Watch Angel for me, and this one." He tipped his head toward Erza. "When I get back, you can say whatever it is you feel you gotta say."

Natsu huffed and dropped himself back on the couch again.

Satisfied, Zeref turned his mind to more pressing things. "Come on, Copper, through here." He nodded to the doorway beside the couch.

"Why?" Gray asked.

"Because I asked nicely?" Zeref suggested.

"I'm not leaving Erza out here," Gray replied. He was almost as obstinate as Natsu.

"We can do this one of two ways: either you walk in their willingly, or I drag your ass in, bleeding. What's it going to be?"

The determined set of his jaw said it all. Aggravated all over again, Zeref used his magic to help him slip across the room faster than eyes could see. He had Fullbuster's throat in his hand in a blink, and used it to push him hard against the wall. "Room, right—"

The constable swung. Maybe Zeref was careless; the punch landed, splitting his lip in the exact same place Jude Heartfilia had. Encouraged, Gray swung again. Zeref blocked that one and cracked his forehead into the constable's nose. Blood gushed. Gray swayed, dazed.

"Here." Natsu brought himself off the couch cushion and grabbed a length of rope from beneath it. Gajeel kept a myriad of things like that down here. One never knew. Zeref pushed Gray against the wall again, waiting. It was then that Erza decided to lunge.

She did hit hard. She was already contending with bruised knuckles, though, so for a moment after contact with Zeref's jaw was made, she blanked, in pain. Zeref's shadows wrapped around her, binding her up. Then, as she yelled and fought and Gray pushed against both he and Natsu, he entertained killing her. It would be easy. It would bring quiet and the moment of shock he needed to get everything to roll smoothly.

He stayed his hand. She was a valuable tool of manipulation. In this endeavour and maybe in others, too. Jellal did seem to like her, maybe enough to do some real business, and Constable Fullbuster was undeniably fond. What was her life worth if he needed to use her as a bargaining tool? _One thing at a time._ Never mind that what he was thinking was both crazy and dangerous.

The bonds finally tightened around Gray's wrists with Natsu's help. Zeref, relaxing some, worked out his jaw. "Miss Scarlet, how's that hand?"

Her knuckles were red and swollen. "Just fine," she lied.

Zeref smirked, feeling in control again. "Liar. Looks to me like someone taught you to punch but didn't tell you how much it would hurt with the gloves off."

She said something surprisingly rude.

"I like you, Erza," Zeref told her. "Sit pretty for awhile. Wendy, Natsu, watch her. If she thinks she's feeling ornery, kill her."

Natsu only looked at him. Wendy swallowed. "Yes."

"Don't touch her," Gray raged, reaching for his magic.

"If you try anything, I will gut her here," Zeref threatened. "Her welfare depends upon your behaviour."

Predictably, the air fled Gray's sails.

Zeref grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and bullied him across the room toward a tall, metal door at the back, thanking God and men for weak hearts. "Send Erik in here when he comes down." He opened the door without waiting for a reply, taking the constable into the room where Gajeel did his best work.

The space was small, square. In the center was a metal chair, and beneath it was a drain. On the wall was a hose that had been used countless times to wash the blood away. The floor was still stained dark in some areas. The room stank of iron. It was as gross as it was glorious. No one was as good as Gajeel was at getting information.

"What the fuck is this?"

"What does it look like?" Zeref asked benignly.

"Like a hack house."

Zeref's silence made Gray's face go taut. "Look. Let Erza go. She's all twisted up, she thinks she wants to be a cop, but she doesn't know. She's just _excited_ , you know?"

"I know you're lying. She's the kind of girl that's thought long and hard about what she wants to do. She knows what kind of decisions she's been making," Zeref told him.

Gray snorted. "Hell."

"Yeah. Hell. Sit down."" Zeref turned him so his back was facing the chair and pushed him back without ceremony. He hit hard and would have taken the chair back with his weight if it wasn't bolted to the floor. Gray recovered and immediately tried to stand again. Hitting him was _satisfying_ on a lot of levels. It was a small bit of justice for Happy, for Natsu, who'd been shot up and left to die. For Angel. His knuckles ached in the best way, begging him to keep going.

The door opened and saved Constable Fullbuster a lot of pain. Erik entered. He was soot stained and roughed up. He closed the door behind himself and said firstly, "I can explain."

Zeref ignored the dazed constable. "Which part, running off or not coming back?"

"Both," Erik said.

"We're family, but that doesn't keep you safe. You got a chance, though, so make it good, Erik."

Sweat pricked on the man's brow. "I was looking for Wendy like I said. I made it to the back rooms when I heard the front door bust down. It was the cops that came into our place, Zeref. They had Molotov cocktails. I tried to stop them, but one of them grabbed me, did this to my face and tried to arrest me. I busted out."

"Bullshit it was the cops," Gray fumed.

"Shut the fuck up, Fullbuster, we're not talking to you yet," Zeref said. Addressing Erik again, he said, "You've been gone for hours and only came back when I sent someone after you. Doesn't look good."

He huffed a sigh through his nose. "I know. They nabbed Kinana and brought her back to the station to try to get her to talk. Most of Heartfilia's guys were out looking for you, so it wasn't too bad busting her out, but…"

Zeref waved him on.

"Look, boss," Erik said, "I know I shoulda gone back to the Dreg House to make sure you and Angie got out, but after they knew who Kinana was, I wanted to get her out of town. She didn't deserve that treatment."

Zeref nodded. "Kinana's a good girl. she doesn't really dabble in this shit, right? Why should she be punished for being a good cook?"

Erik looked relieved. "That's what I was thinking. We had nothing, so I took her to her daddy's place. She was asking him for some money when Sting found us. I left her with her daddy. He said he was going to get her set up on the train, so I came back here. Like you asked."

Zeref mulled over his words, eventually saying, "It was a shitty thing."

"It won't happen again."

"You did good getting me and Angel out of the constabulary. I owe you one. Consider us even."

Erik rubbed his hand over his face; he still looked exhausted and stressed, but not so much on the verge of collapse. "Thanks, boss."

Zeref tapped his cheek roughly. "Don't mention it. The important thing is that you and Kinana are safe, right? I thought after the Dreg House went up, you were done for."

"Me, too."

Zeref turned on the constable. "Should we make the sucker who burned our home to the ground pay for what he's done?"

Gray stood, looking furious. "I told you, I didn't tell anyone where to find you."

"Someone talked, and you're the only one here I don't trust," Zeref said. "Want the honours, Erik?"

Erik took off his leather jacket, tossing it to the floor. "I think I do."

"Come on, guys," Gray said.

Erik smirked. "Is that what passes for begging in the constabulary these days?" He punctuated his words with his first hit, getting the constable in the jaw.

Gray staggered but didn't go down. He spat out a glob of blood and faced them again. "At least untie me, let it be a fair fight."

"Like it was fair to Happy?" Zeref asked. "Or Angel? Or Natsu?"

Erik was too happy to hit him again.

* * *

Natsu listened to the sound of flesh hitting flesh, the swearing, the snorting, the screaming and envisioned what was happening behind that closed door. Nothing good. He felt bad for the redhead, she looked like she was planning on doing something drastic. Something that was going to make her and Flare's resemblance sorta uncanny.

"If you go in there, Zeref's going to kill you just to make him suffer. It won't change a thing."

She looked at him slowly. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're talking about killing a _constable_."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Natsu asked. "You're not one of Heartfilia's dogs, but here you are, aiding one."

"Because it's the right thing," Erza said. "You know what that is, don't you? You can understand that concept?"

Natsu stood, agitated. "Let me tell you what I understand: last week, my best friend went missing. Today, I pulled him out of a tube, dead. I was shot in the chest twice by men like Gray Fullbuster, and Lucy Heartfilia was taken back to her criminal father who pretends she's her mother every night when the lights go out. Now, if me or my brother want to kill men like him and men that _protect_ men like him, we will, and we won't apologize for it."

She looked flabbergasted.

Good.

Natsu started toward the stairs.

Wendy looked up from where she was staring resolutely at the floor. "Where are you going?"

Natsu lied. "For a smoke."

She saw right through him. "You're going to the Heartfilia mansion, aren't you?"

"Did I say that? No. I said I was going for a smoke, Wendy."

"Natsu, Zeref's going to be mad if you leave," Wendy told him.

"Good thing I'm not going anywhere then, right?" He started up the stairs.

"I don't think he was kidding, Natsu. He'll kick you out."

Natsu believed Zeref when he made the threat. But, as Miss Scarlet said, he knew what the right thing was. "Make sure she doesn't go anywhere, Wendy. You don't want Zeref mad at you, too."

* * *

Constable Fullbuster was a mess, eyes black, face dripping blood, lips swollen, barely conscious. Erik shook out his bloody hand, gearing up to go again. The door opened and Wendy poked her head in. She glanced at the constable, and then at Zeref and Erik, looking uncomfortable.

Zeref grabbed Erik's elbow, keeping him from continuing. "What is it, Wendy?"

She looked scared. "Natsu."

Natsu. Of course Natsu. What else would the problem be? "He's going after that girl?"

"Yes."

He didn't flip like Wendy was obviously terrified of. He saw an opportunity when it presented itself to him. "Go after him, Erik. If you have to drag his ass back here near dead, go right ahead."

Erik barely hesitated. "Got it."

Wendy only looked more scared. "Zeref—"

"Who's watching Miss Scarlet, Wendy?" Zeref asked. "You, right? Get back to it."

She chewed her cheek hard but backed out. Erik stooped and grabbed up his coat, then followed her.

The silence that ruled wasn't absolute, it was broken up by Gray Fullbuster's laboured breathing, and then his voice. "What do you think your brother's going to do when he finds her?"

"I know what I think he _should_ do," Zeref muttered.

"That wasn't the question," Gray replied.

Zeref took his knife from his pocket: it was an old brass switch blade that had belonged to his old man before he stabbed the life out of him and took it. It was one of the very few things he had from his old life. Gray eyed the blade warily, though also with a sense of resignation that was a little bit admirable.

The resignation turned to confusion when Zeref pulled him forward, cut the rope tying his hands together and said, "Good work."

"Is this the part of the fight that's fair?" Gray asked, though he didn't look to be in any shape _to_ be fighting.

"This is the part of the fight where I tell you, 'Good work, Mr. Fullbuster, it was a pleasure doing business with you, I hope that the next time we meet, we can be half as cordial,'" Zeref said.

"What?"

"Get out of here, you're free to go," Zeref clarified. "Unless, of course, you don't want to?"

"What about Erza?"

Zeref pressed his lips together. "That is a good question. See, I told my friend Jellal that I would take care of her. Maybe he was right, though. Might be a shame to put her to bed, right? After all, if she was out of the picture, who else would I threaten to make sure the cops look the other way the next time I take a little something from Crawford, right?"

"Are you extorting me?"

"I call it doing business," Zeref said.

"I told your brother I'd leave with Lucy as soon as all this was cleared up," Gray said. "Could be, I'm not around to extort."

That didn't change things all that much. "It pays to have friends, Mr. Fullbuster. Now get your girl and get out of here, before I change my mind. Unless, of course, your answer is no, then you can point out where you'd prefer to be shot."

"I'm a _cop_ ," Gray said. "I can't just _not_ do anything when something illegal is happening."

He said the words. Zeref knew a great many men, though, and had seen the way they looked when they were considering not the _right_ choice, per se, but the _easiest_. "In this world, Mr. Fullbuster, you bend or you break."

He held out another handkerchief, this one black, and stepped away from the door. Gray rose and grabbed it like Zeref knew he would, swiping away blood, and left to collect his dame.

* * *

As soon as Lucy was dropped off at her front door, she bypassed Jude Heartfilia without saying a word. He'd chased her up the stairs, spewing questions. _'Are you hurt?' 'Should I call Porlyusica?' 'Where were they keeping you? Was it Stellar Drive, or is there another place we can raze?'_

She ignored every single one of them, walking with _purpose_ , manic _calm._ Even when he grabbed her arm and pulled her around, she spoke with an air of tranquility Lucy didn't think she had in her. "Daddy, a lot's happened. I need to shower. I need to change. When I'm through, we'll talk." She had lots to say.

He was stunned into releasing her.

In her own shower with the door locked, she stripped off the dress soaked in Natsu's blood, put her gun on the counter. She turned on the water, stepped beneath a pounding and scalding spray, and washed all of the evidence away.

She didn't take as long as she would have liked, needing to do things while she felt brave enough to do them. Dried and dressing again, Lucy pulled a lilac swing dress over her body. It was one she'd picked out herself: she'd seen Miss Monroe in one similar and loved it. Her only regret was that it was her father's money that purchased it. It couldn't be helped.

She dried her hair. She even curled it, taking a little extra time to give herself a chance to think about what she was going to say. Finished, the gun went back between her breasts, then she opened her door quietly. Her room was empty, thankfully. She took her keys off and put them in her purse, leaving that on her bed. She wouldn't take anything with her that her father could use as collateral.

Finally.

She wasn't ready.

She was as ready as she was going to be, though.

Coming out into the hallway, she followed the sound of her father's voice to his office. On the phone, his face was locked up in a tense expression.

"I see," he said. "And you're certain it was Layla?"

Lucy imagined one of his constables were telling him about what they found in the warehouse. _And he's playing dumb_. She hated him more acutely then than she ever thought she _could._

"Very well. Thank you. I'll take care of it personally, if you don't mind. Give her to the ME to hold until I can get by tomorrow. Thank you again." He rested the phone in its cradle and just stared at it for a long time.

"They found Mom?" Lucy interrupted his thoughts.

Her father lifted his gaze and looked at her. He was a man hollowed out. "She's been ruined."

"She's been dead, Dad," Lucy said. It was harsh. She didn't know how to make it gentle. She watched his fingers curl into a fist.

"The Dragneels are going to _pay_ for this."

"It was me." Saying it was _liberating._ Right up until the moment his eyes sharpened on her. And then it was terrifying. She kept on. "I shot that tank."

Lucy wasn't sure if he believed her or not when he asked, "Why?"

"Because you're hurting people. You're obsessed. I didn't think you'd go so far to bring her back and when I found out that you _had…_ Daddy…" Her tears were all genuine. "Mom wouldn't want that. _I_ don't want that. You used to be a good man. Now… I hardly recognize you."

He mulled over that, fingers flexing and relaxing, flexing and relaxing. "You shot her tank."

"Yes."

"You destroyed it."

"To save you, and anyone else you might have thought to put in there." Her legs quivered more than she would have liked.

Jude Heartfilia took a huge breath. And then another. And another. His eyes were bright. "Leave me, Lucy."

Lucy did as he asked, returning to her room to sit on her bed and contemplate that look in his eye.

The shame and the sadness. It broke her heart.

* * *

At seven-forty-five, with the sun caressing the horizon, Lucy finally gathered enough wherewithal to look beneath her bed for another travel bag to replace the one she'd left in the Dreg House. This time, she put a little more effort into packing, getting things like dresses that fit her, underwear, pantyhose and sweaters. She added in some shoes, blue and white ones, a black pair that she put on her feet. A comb. Her toothbrush. She almost took her pillow, too, but her bag was already overstuffed and it felt like walking around with a pillow beneath her arm was advertising to everyone that she had no place to go.

While she was thinking about that, she barely heard her door open until her father asked, "What are you doing?"

Lucy turned, hand on her speeding heart, and found him relying on the doorframe to keep him from falling down. She could smell him from here; he'd been into the drink.

"Lucy? What are you doing?" he asked again.

"Packing," she said as soon as she could. "I'm leaving."

"Leaving?"

"Yes."

"To go where?"

Lucy kept her eyes on her bag; it made her interaction easier to bear. "Anywhere."

"You have no money."

"I'll find work."

"You have no place to stay."

"I'll figure it out," she replied shortly.

There came quiet. When he spoke again, his tone was low. "Please don't go."

Lucy's heart tugged. "I can't stay here." Not anymore.

He said nothing, for which she was grateful. She zipped up her travel bag and grabbed it up by the handle. It was as overstuffed as she feared. She grabbed her purse, too, feeling the magic emanating from within. Her spirits couldn't join her, but they let her know she wasn't alone. She appreciated it. Turning and starting toward the door, she saw her father still blocked her way. He was struggling with some heavy emotional turmoil, caught somewhere between sadness and rage. It seemed like a precarious place to be.

"Excuse me."

He stayed where he was.

"Daddy, move."

He flinched at 'Daddy' like she thought he would. Flinching or not, it wasn't enough to make him malleable. "I can't let you leave. You're all I have left."

Lucy let her voice go flat. "I'm not asking for permission."

"Lucy, _please_." His eyes really were damp now.

He was the ghost of what he once was. Lucy's heart broke more. He was her father. He'd done terrible things. _Yes._ But he was still her father. She set her bag down on the ground and, though the constant fear and mild revulsion was there, she hugged him. "I'm sorry about Mom, and I'm sorry this is happening."

His arms came around her, holding her in place. His chest heaved. How many tears would she comfort today? Too many; she withheld her own for fear of drowning and rubbed his back through his plain white dress shirt, feeling his suspenders beneath her fingers, his lungs hitch, his hot breath on her shoulder.

His lips.

Lucy stilled. _Please, no._ But, yes.

* * *

As with the first time he'd arrived at the Heartfilia mansion, Natsu thought picking his way over the grounds was too easy. Jude Heartfilia, even now, felt like the cock of the walk, the king of the crop. No self-respecting criminal would dare waltz up to his front door and _take_ anything, not from the Chief of Police.

"Guess he hasn't had many dealings with Dragneels," Natsu muttered beneath his breath as he waited behind a topiary bush for a guard to finish his circuit of the courtyard. That old familiar distaste was back in his mouth as he thought _courtyard_. Seriously. People were starving to death, busting heads, dredging through the dregs just to make a living, and here Jude Heartfilia was with a fucking _courtyard_.

 _Don't get mad. Keep focused. Be smart._

He felt like he'd never done anything stupider in his life. Walking up to the Heartfilia mansion to grab little Lucy Rosanta Heartfilia. _Zeref was serious_. _He won't want you back._

Fuck.

 _Turn back now and maybe he'll just…_

 _He'll forgive you._

Yeah, he would. Zeref would for sure. But Natsu couldn't do it. He could still feel her palms on his cheeks, could still see that look in her eye, the heartbreak and the genuine _sorrow_ she felt when she realized what had happened. Her inability to deny, her reluctance to run.

Erza Scarlet's words came to him. _'Because it's the right thing. You understand that concept, don't you?'_

Sure he did.

He also knew about family and duty and loyalty, too.

He could scream balancing on this great divide. He got moving; it helped with some of the turmoil because it felt like he was busy _doing_ and not thinking about doing.

 _This_ is _the right thing. It is._ Especially since Zeref had the constable in that room. Gray Fullbuster couldn't take Lucy away if he was dead, right?

Natsu grabbed the lattice beneath her window and started hauling himself up to her balcony. Getting there had been easier with Rogue's magic. Now Natsu's muscles burned, tired from his healing, his chest was tight, the tissue in his lungs too new.

 _Maybe…_

 _Maybe just get her set up somewhere. As soon as Zeref cools down, you can go home._

Dragging himself over the balcony he'd dropped Earl from was harder than it should have been, and when his feet landed on the concrete on the other side, he wondered if it was all for naught. Lucy's bedroom light was off.

Then he heard her clear voice all muddled with panic. ' _Stop it._ ' ' _You're hurting me_.' Fabric tore.

Natsu's ears roared. The balcony doors needed some encouraging to open, they were locked. He burned through the metal quickly and came into the room. There was no one in the Princess Suite facsimile Lucy called hers. There was, however, someone in the hallway. He found her bag beside the door, and then her shoe. It had been kicked off, or had fallen off, and now lay in the middle of the doorway looking incriminating and wrong.

Lucy's cry came again, scared and disgusted. "Stop it." She was much louder now. A loud thump, a sharp intake of breath. A hand curled around the doorframe, a lock of golden hair came into view as she tried to get away and was tugged back again. Natsu moved just as a gun went off.

Silence followed the rapport, stark compared to the kerfuffle that had been.

 _God._ He kept going, though he was afraid of what he'd find in the seconds to come. The smell of blood was in the air. Lucy sobbed again, giving Natsu the courage to go all the way, stepping into the warm hallway light to the peculiar scene.

Lucy's fingers loosely held the pistol Natsu had given her earlier that day, her free hand was clapped against her mouth as she looked at what she'd done. Natsu followed her gaze to her father, who leaned limply against the bannister, clutching a wound low on his left side. He bled liberally, though he was still alive. Dazed, sure. Hurt, absolutely. His eyes still blinked. Lucy stared and stared, unaware of Natsu's presence until he called her name, then she jumped and screamed, turning and aiming the gun at him.

Natsu put his hands in the air. "Don't shoot." _Not me, anyway_. He hoped that she'd turn the weapon back on her father and put a bullet between his eyes for the bruises on her breasts, for the torn dress, for the line of wet kisses he'd left on her neck.

She didn't, though. She shook badly and jumped when her father slumped the rest of the way to the ground. Natsu dared to lean in and pluck the gun from between her fingers, afraid she'd hurt herself or someone else not as deserving. It took the weapon going missing for Lucy to realize what he'd done, and what he was doing, turning the gun on her father. It felt unsporting when he just slumped against the ground, staring in shock.

" _No_." Lucy lunged for him, fingers scrabbling. Natsu held the gun up and away from her.

"What the fuck do you mean, _no?_ "

She rushed to say, "Don't kill him."

"You already shot him once, what the hell is the difference?" Natsu demanded.

Lucy started to cry, the kind of cry that made Natsu's chest ache. He felt sick lowering the barrel of the gun and tucking it into the waist of his pants. He did it anyway. Seeing her father's brains spilled over her carpet might push her over the edge. "Call for an ambulance, Lucy."

"What?"

"He's going to bleed to death." If only he'd do it faster. "Call for an ambulance."

She focused on that demand and lurched down the hallway, a ghost in tattered clothing. She ducked into a room several doors down. Natsu turned his attention back to Jude Heartfilia. The man was still blinking torpidly but maybe there was a gleam to his eye that there hadn't been before, maybe he was starting to realize the reality of his situation.

Natsu crouched so they were eye-to-eye. "I've thought about killing you for a long time. Before you took Happy, but especially after." It would be _simple_ to pull the gun out and finish the job. "I certainly wouldn't miss you. Lucy would cry, but after that scene, I think she'd get over it pretty quick. I was doing some thinking, though, Jude. This has a couple ways of playing out. Lucy calls an ambulance and they arrive, take you to the hospital. Sounds good, right? But here's the thing, I think my brother is going to do everything in his power to make sure you go down in a pine box, and it's not going to be pretty. He's going to be mad. It'll be at me, sure, but you're going to be the only one close enough for him to take it out on. I'm pretty confident you won't survive the month. If by some miracle you do, I am going to hound Lucy until she breaks. I'm going to make sure she files the report she should have ages ago. I'm going to make sure you're ruined."

Jude finally spoke. "You don't know my daughter."

"I don't think _you_ do," Natsu clarified. "After all, only one of us is bleeding to death right now."

Lucy stepped out of the room, still pale and still frantic. "An ambulance is on the way; they'll be here soon."

Jude, even gravely wounded, was a bastard that dared to don a self-righteous look as if to say, _see? I knew she would come through._ His triumph only skyrocketed as Lucy asked, "Do you think he's going to be alright?"

"A flea like him? Just fine," Natsu said. "I'm taking your daughter away from you," he told Jude and waited for Lucy to challenge him. He was even prepared to bully her if need be. He wasn't above kidnapping, either, if it meant she was brave enough to _get the fuck out_. She did not.

"You're not leaving with this man, Lucy," Jude managed, reading her well.

She wrapped her arms around her middle, scared, but also stubborn. "I'm not staying here."

Sirens wailed in the distance. Natsu stood straight and turned, gathering up the suitcase Lucy had dropped. "That's our cue to leave, I think."

Lucy came unglued and grabbed her purse. She didn't say goodbye to her father, she did look back, though. Natsu didn't ask if she was seeing the man he used to be or the one he'd become, it seemed unnecessarily cruel.

"How are you here?" It seemed speaking aloud helped keep Lucy on track. "I thought—I was sure—"

"Wendy saw the flare you let off and showed up in the nick of time."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Thanks. I owe you one."

She let the conversation die.

At the base of the long, curling stairway, Natsu paused, hearing the clicks of guns and seeing the silhouettes of men through the front door's frosted glass. The door was tried. Natsu's heart was in his throat. Then he felt like laughing when the guards were met with resistance; Jude Heartfilia had locked himself in his mansion, away from his own men. The pounding on the door began.

"Open up!"

"Is there another way out?" Natsu asked quietly.

Lucy's throat bobbed. She squeezed her purse tightly. "Doors, windows, yes, but the police are coming with the ambulance."

It looked like they were already there, actually, judging by the strobing light that came through the window. Natsu checked his guns. He was still heavily armed. He called on his magic next. "I'm not getting locked up in the constabulary."

That'd be the nicest thing that could happen.

"Wait, wait."

"They're at the _door,_ Lucy. We don't have time to wait."

Her lips disappeared. "I _know._ But maybe—we might be able to bypass all that, without hurting anyone."

He barely resisted the urge to grab her shoulders and shake. "Sometimes, you have to go _through_ to get the job done, Lucy."

She wasn't listening, instead rooting through her purse, coming out with a golden key. Without wasting time, she commanded, "Open, Gate of the Maiden."

Watching her call a celestial spirit when she wasn't trying to attack him was something else. Her skin glowed and danced with warm magic, tranquility filled the air. The illusion was somewhat shattered when her spirit formed, pink haired, wide eyed, pallid. She looked worse for wear, roughed up with a mostly healed hole on the left side of her breast where she'd been punched through with a bullet.

"Princess." She even sounded faint. "I—I have to go back soon."

"I know, Virgo," Lucy told her. "Please. I just need a tunnel out of the house."

Seeing what she had in mind, Natsu said, "I left a car a kilometer up the road. Not far."

The pounding on the door got more insistent. One of the ground floor windows shattered.

"We're running out of time," Natsu told them.

"Can you do it, Virgo?" Lucy pushed.

"I—I think so." The spirit gathered fortitude and lifted her hands. The floor beneath her feet buckled into a giant hole that smelled of dust and earth. Natsu lost sight of her in the blink of an eye. He could hear her, though, churning earth with an efficiency that was hindered by her state but still quicker than anything he'd ever witnessed before.

"Come on." Natsu took Lucy by the hand and pulled her to the edge of the deep hole.

A man spilled into the foyer from the adjoining room, gun raised. "Stop where you are!"

 _Not likely_. Natsu barely looked over the edge to see how far down it was, more concerned about the constable opening fire. A bullet slammed into a vase on the opposite side of the room, inches from his chest. Lucy screamed; her magic wavered. Natsu grabbed her around the waist and plunged into the dark hole, figuring that however far down it was and whatever waited at the bottom, it was better than the scene up above.


	20. Chapter 20

Gray didn't believe Zeref was letting him go free until he stumbled past the man into the basement. Erza, still standing by the stairs and still wrapped up in shadow, was released from her bonds. She came forward with wrath and tears in her eyes and curses on her lips as soon as she saw him. Gray caught her around the waist and hauled her up short before she could reach a trailing Zeref and encourage him to change his mind.

"We're leaving," Gray said shortly.

"Leaving," Erza scoffed and fought against him. "Not until he pays."

She was righteous and commendable. But hell. "Gotta choose your battles, Erza." And this certainly wasn't one of them. They were outnumbered and outgunned and no amount of _want_ or _ferocity_ was going to change that.

"No, she's right," Zeref said from where he stood in the doorway.

"You think so?" Erza asked, surprised.

Zeref said, "I'd never let anyone do that to me and walk away scot-free. Do something for the constable, Wendy."

Gray was so focused on Erza, he didn't know he was approached until Wendy grabbed his elbow and cool magic filtered into his body. He whirled on her, expecting pain. And there _was_ some. But mostly… It felt good. Relieving. The ache in his face didn't go away. It lessened, though.

"Get _away_ from him." Erza pushed Wendy hard, forcing her back against the wall where she stayed, exhausted.

Zeref looked on agitatedly. "She was healing him."

"Leave her," Gray cut into Erza's reply. Whether he was talking to Erza or Zeref, he didn't know. All he knew was that it was _past_ time to go. "Come on." He took Erza's elbow and straight up manhandled her from the room, up the stairs into a cloud of smoke.

In the kitchen once more, Sting and Rogue leaned against the counter, each with a cigarette in hand, talking to Gajeel who was all on his lonesome now, Levy was gone. The conversation withered up with their arrival. No one said a word, though. Gray felt like a coward dropping his gaze to the mottled tile floor and bee lining for the front of the house, but that's exactly what he did, Erza trailing behind like an anchor. He slipped on his shoes. Erza carried hers. He was—ludicrously—worried about her cutting her feet, yet he wanted to move quickly and knew she'd be faster without the heels.

The sound of the TV chased them out onto the front stoop where Gray almost tripped on a girl sitting on the stairs in the twilight light. Juvia. She came up and turned on him. His first reaction was wariness as she held out her hand, palm up, the next was curiosity and elation as she held out his truck keys.

She searched his eyes, waiting for him to take the keys. "I put it in the underground garage on Kendal."

"You did?"

"Yes. It's undamaged." She was unwavering looking at him. Did she even blink?

The relief he felt was ridiculous. It was just a goddamn truck. "Thank you."

She gave him a smile that was a hundred-watt. Gray stepped around her, feet crushing cigarette butts left on the stoop, and tugged Erza along. Kendal was only a kilometer out. They had to hurry if they planned on getting to the Heartfilia mansion.

* * *

Lucy was so tired, her feet felt heavy. First she felt drained because of her father's sudden violence, then it was the shock of shooting him, then it was the men bursting into her home and firing their weapons, and _then_ it was Virgo's constant drain on her magic. It was too much. All she wanted to do was close that gate and find a place against one of the damp, earthen walls. She'd sink to the ground, ruin her already ruined dress and wait until the police arrived. She wouldn't be _running off with a criminal._ She'd get picked up, she'd tell the police her story, her father would be punished for what he did and she… she would live in his house off his wealth and think about what they did and did _not_ do collectively.

She kept running, largely thanks to Natsu's constant hold on her hand, dragging her along. Way down at the beginning of the tunnel, the man that fired at Natsu yelled Lucy's name. She chanced a look back over her shoulder. While ahead of her was pure darkness navigated largely by feel and good luck, behind was barely illuminated, the light pouring in via the mansion's foyer. There were more men gathering in the tunnel, four from what she could tell, and they were hell-bent on catching up.

"They're following us!"

Natsu kept on ahead, gripping her with one hand, her bag with the other. "How far?"

 _How far?_ She felt through her connection with Virgo. _Almost,_ her heart told her. _Almost there._ "A little more."

"Then keep moving." He panted the words out, incredibly short of breath, more than he _should_ be, leaving Lucy to conclude that he wasn't in as good of shape as she believed after he'd been shot twice in the chest.

 _God._

He was lagging behind, now _Lucy_ was the one pulling him along. Virgo was also getting careless, leaving behind chunks of earth for them to trip over when she'd normally pulverize them. The men at their backs were much fresher, _and_ they had flashlights to ignite the way. They were closing fast.

Virgo's constant drilling began to slow. Lucy felt their connection wavering. "Don't go, Virgo. Please." She had no idea if the spirit could hear her or not, she spoke anyway. "Please, please." She offered as much magic as she could to keep their connection strong. It wasn't enough, Virgo was fading away. The sound of her drilling chugged like an old motor in the cold, and then it stopped entirely and the spirit vanished from the physical realm.

Lucy wanted to scream. She was too busy trying not to faint. Natsu was pulling her again. Shouts at their back hit the earthen walls and were subsumed so everything was muted. Lucy checked back over her shoulder again, seeing four flashlights bobbing in the dark, closer than ever. They had twenty seconds at most.

Her distraction cost her, and Natsu, apparently, because they both came up abruptly, forced into a halt by a solid wall of earth where Virgo had stopped. The wind was knocked from Lucy's lungs; she would have fallen back if Natsu didn't keep his hold on her. He wheezed in her ear, and cussed. Lucy touched the wall in vain, and tilted her face up, praying.

Her prayers were answered, a narrow, Virgo-sized hole left in the ground, curving upward toward the surface. She could see the darkening sky and the very first star. The spirit _had_ come through.

Natsu followed her gaze. " _Yes_."

"Help me," Lucy commanded. She was already reaching up through the wet soil, feeling the dewed grass and cool air above. Natsu didn't falter, crouching and grabbing her legs. Lucy almost fell over his shoulder, off balanced. She recovered and came upright again, scrabbling through the narrow hole in the earth. Soil clung to her skin, got caught in her hair, even went into her eyes and her mouth. She didn't breathe while she scrambled, too focused for that. Natsu pushed and pushed from below. Lucy felt like a carrot. She would have laughed under different circumstances. Dirt caught beneath her nails, her hips snagged. She wriggled and stepped on Natsu's shoulder to get the rest of the way out, pulling herself along with determination.

Below, shouts came, and then gunfire. Lucy's legs got incredibly hot in the next moment. Natsu was using his fire. Men screamed. Lucy joined them, her cry not of pain but _frustration_. She twisted and pulled herself along as hard as she could.

Her hips unstuck.

She came out the rest of the way and turned back around for Natsu. The hole was filled with more light now, and the yells of injured men trying to pat out fire. Natsu looked up and met her eyes, obviously trying to decide if she was going to leave him there. Lucy reached in. He passed her the bag he carried. She wrenched it out and threw it to the grass behind her hip and reached in again, taking his calloused hand in hers. She didn't know if she was strong enough to pull him out but she'd try.

Natsu used the wall to help heft his bulk. As soon as that was no longer an option, he was as heavy as Lucy feared. She grunted, leaning back and using her weight as leverage, tugging him up, up. He fit because his hands were over his head, making his shoulders that touch bit narrower. He was a quarter way out when Lucy's hold on his sweaty fingers slipped. She yelped, thinking he'd go right back down, but Natsu caught himself on the ledge and _heaved_.

He came out looking as filthy and tired as Lucy felt. Still he rose. Still he took her hand and pulled her up toward the road. Lucy took her bag, scrabbled to her feet and got to it, barely taking the time to note that they were on the very edge of the Heartfilia estate, far from the mansion and moving over manicured lawn, through trimmed cedars. Police lights mounted on Tudors lit the property in a pulsing red light that was too far away to touch them. There were no sirens to drown out the sounds of voices. Shouts as men searched the property. _Looking for you_ , Lucy thought.

Natsu pulled her up short behind a cedar bush and clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. At first she felt panic, thinking he was going to betray her. Then she listened and heard what he did: footsteps, low voices saying, _'I thought I saw someone over this way.'_ Lucy's lungs rejected having her oxygen confined. She held her breath in the interest of being silent. The footsteps got closer and closer, moving over the wet grass.

Her lungs bucked; her head spun. _I'm going to pass out,_ she thought. Natsu chose that moment to release her. He pushed her back roughly, tugged his gun out of its holster and came around the side of the bush with vengeance. Lucy thought he'd start shooting—had _prepared_ herself for that _and_ for running if that was the way things were going to go. He cracked the butt of the gun against one officer's head, putting the man on the ground immediately. The other one was the problem.

Given a second's notice, the constable pulled out his gun and opened his mouth to shout a warning. Natsu grabbed him by the collar and punched him so hard, his nose exploded. He didn't stop. He swung again, using his gun to inflict even more damage, clutching the handgrip and forcing the barrel to do what it was never meant to, split skin, break bone, drive into unconsciousness.

Lucy closed her eyes, unable to watch, sure that he was killing him. _Run, run._ God.

She opened her eyes and chose a direction at random. Two steps in, Natsu grabbed her hand, stopping her. He'd given up his ruthless beating. Now the man was on the ground and Natsu's knuckles were covered in blood. Lucy didn't ask if he was still breathing. She _couldn't_. "Don't—"

"This way." Natsu didn't give her a choice, using his size to his advantage to bully her toward the road again. The grass got longer. The ground dipped in a ditch full of water and came up once more. Lucy's feet got soaked, the one in the high heel and the one bare. Her toes slid wetly together, protesting the abuse as she moved from cool and soft grass to the gravel shoulder.

A shape came out of the low light, something black and hulking. She understood when Natsu tugged open the passenger side of the black, three-door deuce coupe and started shoving her inside. The door slammed in her face, nearly blocking out the sound of her name splitting the night. She searched, blinded by the overhead light and found her caller as soon as Natsu opened the driver's door and threw himself in. Gray's orange truck was on the opposite side of the road. He was climbing from the cab, he was crossing at a run, and Natsu was starting the engine.

Gray's voice was almost drowned out by the roar. "Lucy, are you alright?"

"Gray—yes, I—" Natsu slammed the door, cutting off her conversation abruptly. "Wait!" Lucy cried, realizing what he was doing. "Wait, he's trying to talk to us."

Natsu didn't wait, punching the gas so hard that the car fishtailed. Lucy yelped and gripped the dash. "What the hell is the _matter_ with you?"

Deadpan, he said, "You asked me not to kill anyone."

"What does that have to do with _anything_? Gray was trying to _help_." She was screechy as an owl, out of breath, hopped up on adrenaline and _angry._

"There were cops _behind_ him, Lucy, they saw us. They would have arrested him for abetting your escape or I would have shot them or they would have shot us. I don't know about you, but I'm fucking sick of being full of holes."

Lucy fell quiet.

More gently, Natsu said, "We'll stop when we've got some road behind us. You can call him. Let him know you're okay. Set up a rendezvous or something when things have calmed down."

Lucy braved asking, "Is that constable dead? The one you beat?"

Natsu glanced at her and answered truthfully. "I don't know."

Lucy was visited by the first wave of unwelcomed tears. She couldn't stop it. Natsu let her cry in peace and focused on the road.

* * *

Gray watched the coupe's taillights until they disappeared over the hill, not realizing he wasn't alone until a flashlight shone in his face. He turned, facing Freed Justine and his partner. They said something he missed. It was enough to remind him that he couldn't just _watch_ Lucy leave.

"Gray—" Freed called.

Gray ignored him, going for his truck again. Erza was still inside, chomping at the bit to go. In fact, she was halfway in the driver's seat, ready to take off and leave him there if need be. He used his body to push her over unceremoniously and fought to get the truck into drive. Gears grinded, then engaged. He drove too fast after that, swinging the truck around and nearly taking out his fellow constables.

However, it didn't matter how fast he drove, or for how long, he never found that deuce coupe.

* * *

Shadows held him even better than they held Rogue. Zeref slipped unhindered, silent enough even to escape Erik's detection. He kept the man in his sights while he jogged down the block, away from Gajeel's place, wanting to go after his brother but deciding that _this_ was more important. Natsu would come back, he always did. Zeref was rather calm about it, considering, figuring Natsu would slide into the Heartfilia mansion, do in Lucy's daddy and _burn the whole fucking place down then get caught by the cops and thrown in jail._

 _Or killed._

Like we said.

Calm.

He trusted Sting and Rogue to succeed where Erik failed, sending them out to do whatever it took to get Natsu back home again while Zeref focused on _this._

Predictably, there wasn't far to go. Kinana's daddy lived just over a kilometer away.

He knew what to expect before Erik pushed his way into the house. It was still disappointing, following the man through the darkened interior of that light green bungalow, past a living room where a TV pumped out a rerun of _I Love Lucy_ , through the narrow hallway illuminated by the flickering light of the TV and into the bathroom, the only room in the house that had the light turned on.

Zeref lingered in the hallway, more shadow than man, and looked upon the scene inside. As Erik entered, Kinana looked up from where she perched on the toilet, beside the bathtub that held her father, bound and gagged. The mascara she'd been wearing was running and had been for some time, dark smears on her freckled cheeks. That wasn't the only dark shape, though. She'd been hit, her cheek a raised bruise.

She stood, nudging the black bag at her feet _overflowing_ with money, hands cinched around the wad of toilet paper stained with her makeup. "Erik, you came back."

"I promised I would." He gathered her up in a hug that looked like it could have lasted forever, if he allowed for it. Kinana didn't look like she wanted to let him go. She did, eventually, with some encouragement from him. "Wait in the hallway."

She didn't ask, _'What are you going to do_.' She knew as well as Zeref. She didn't say, _'Please, don't.'_ It wasn't Erik that put that bruise on her cheek. It probably happened when she came knocking on her old man's door, looking for a place to stay. Zeref imagined he was still mad from the last time she decided she'd had enough of his shit and ran off.

Kinana came out into the hallway. Erik closed the door, blocking her out and dousing them in shadow. Zeref listened carefully while Kinana tried to not. There was only so much her hands over her ears could block out. Erik saying, _'That's the last time you ever touch her,_ ' the click of his revolver, but not the unmistakable _bang_ as he pulled the trigger. Not the splatter of blood and thicker things hitting the tiled wall, the floor.

Kinana sniffed, crying again. The door opened. Erik stepped out, silhouetted by the light, with that black bag in hand. He was closing the door again. Zeref acted, wanting him to see what he'd done so he knew with _certainty_ the severity of his actions.

"Hello, Erik. Kinana."

Kinana saw him first and paled. Erik jolted, a yell on his lips. He recovered. "Boss—I was just—I was coming to get Kinana before we looked for Natsu."

Zeref shook his head. "Where'd that cash come from?"

"M—my daddy," Kinana managed.

Not feeling very patient, Zeref reached for her; shadows helped, winding around her body and tugging her close. "You're a good girl, Kinana. Good girls don't lie."

Erik made a strangled noise and inched toward them. He seemed to think better of it, last-minute. "Let her go."

"I will," Zeref said in a placating way. "When we have all of our answers. Why were you at the constabulary, Kinana?"

"The constabulary?" she stuttered. "I—I wasn't." Her chest rose and fell too quickly. Her heart fluttered like a hummingbird's wings.

Zeref tugged out his favorite revolver, feeling the bone-white ivory handle and silver filigree. It felt good in his hand. This was the gun he chose for doing unsavory business. Business that would linger. Flipping open the wheel, he shook out all but two bullets and set the wheel back in place, spinning it so no one had any idea where the bullets sat.

"What are you doing?" Erik's voice was as taut as a bow.

"Getting answers," Zeref said and laid the barrel against a quivering Kinana's temple. "I'll ask again, why were you at the constabulary?"

"I wasn't, I—"

Zeref pulled the trigger. It clicked without _bang._ Kinana screamed and cringed. Erik was shocked, then lunged. Shadows pushed him back through the doorway and into the bathroom again so hard that he fell over the low bathtub and onto the corpse it held. He was up again in seconds, coming for Zeref.

Zeref pulled the trigger again. the gun _clicked,_ the slot empty. Kinana wailed. Erik grinded to a halt. "I'm not fucking around," Zeref said. "Next time you come for her, I'm not going to care about the _why's_ , I'm just going to fill her in. _Start talking._ "

Kinana caved like Zeref knew she would. "I didn't want Erik to have to run anymore. I didn't—I didn't want to do this anymore. I went to Chief Heartfilia and made a deal."

"Shut up, Kinana," Erik warned.

She kept going. "I gave him the location of the Dreg House and Lucy Heartfilia and he gave us enough money to get away and cleared Erik's name."

Natsu was wrong. It wasn't the pig. Zeref squeezed her tighter to his body. "You sold us out. That hurts me, Kinana. That hurts me a lot."

She cried harder. "I know. I know. I was so scared—things weren't going the way they were supposed to, Zeref. Ever since Happy went missing and we pulled that girl in—nothing's been going right. I just wanted out."

"She doesn't know what she's saying," Erik interjected. "It was me. It was me all along, that's why I was at the station. I was making the deals, betraying you. Kinana didn't have anything to do with it. Let her go and punish me."

"Nobel, but I _heard_ her, Erik," Zeref said. "Maybe you were there trying to stop her, but this was Kinana all the way. All you did was cover for her, plan the escape once she had the money. Slip out and leave me and Angel to burn. Leave my brother to sneak into the Heartfilia mansion because he's out of his fucking mind. Huh…" he said, considering. "Actually, when I put it like that, it sounds like you had a pretty big role."

"Yes," Erik said, relieved. "Now let her go."

Zeref shook his head again. "They say it takes two to tango, and they are absolutely _right._ You know my stance on traitors."

"Zeref, _please,_ " Erik begged above Kinana's sobbing.

"We're family, Erik."

"Yeah. Yeah we are."

"It hurts me when family lies to my face." And it happened _all the fucking time_. He could kill Natsu. But wouldn't. All the anger had to go somewhere. "But I still care about you. So I'll let you decide. Kinana is punished in front of you, taught a lesson she'll never forget, or you save her some pain and put a bullet right here, right now." He tapped Kinana's forehead. "What's it going to be?"

Silence followed in which Erik tried to decide if he was serious or not. Zeref had never felt more serious in his life. Erik stumbled through saying, "I—I can't kill her."

"Then I guess she suffers." Shadows tightened on Kinana despite her screaming. Zeref numbed himself to the sound. It was distasteful work, but a traitor was a traitor and he had to trust everyone in his family.

Erik looked on in shock until one of those shadows slipped up around Kinana's throat and started choking her. "Stop! Stop it! Please. I'll do anything."

Like Zeref knew he would. He eased off. Kinana gasped in breath. "Go ahead."

Erik came forward in stilted movements. He ignored Zeref's closeness for the moment and cupped Kinana's cheeks. He kissed her once, said his ' _sorry's_ ' like Zeref knew he would and did what needed to be done.

No one would say Erik was a coward.

* * *

It was three in the morning when Gray finally let Erza convince him to turn around and give up the chase. He offered to drop her off back at her house because her car was still at his place. She denied him. Aside from that, the conversation fell to the wayside and stayed that way up his heinously long driveway to his dark house.

He put the truck where it usually sat, cut the engine, and then just stared out into the night, listening to Erza breathe lightly, to a raccoon call from a treetop somewhere in the surrounding forest.

He was the first to break. "You want to come in?"

Erza turned and looked at him, trying to read through to his motives. She said, "Yes."

 _Yes._ Alright. He threw open the truck's whining door, not waiting for Erza to follow, knowing that she'd be at his shoulder if he looked.

The door was still unlocked. Entering, Gray was too tired to wonder if anyone had followed him there and waited in the shadows. He flicked on the hallway light as Erza closed the door, and kicked off his shoes. Erza dropped hers to the blue and white entryway carpet and came into his house like she'd been there plenty times before.

Hell, the way she took his stuff and played cop maybe she _had_ been sneaking in. Maybe that was _his_ spare uniform and not Freed's above the tiles in the girls' washroom.

 _Fuck, it probably is,_ Gray thought. He looked to his closet where he usually kept that stuff. He was tempted to confirm his suspicions but stayed his feet because his answering machine caught his attention. There was a message waiting for him there. He crossed into the living room, careful not to step in the mud he'd left there earlier. No sense in rubbing it in. Maybe it'd all dry, he could vacuum it up and it'd be like it was never there at all.

Erza saw what he was doing and came to stand at his elbow. "Do you think Lucy called?"

Saying yes felt like jinxing himself so he didn't respond, just went through the motions, hoping, yet still preparing himself for disappointment or worry in case Natsu was actually planning on getting revenge. _Hell. Maybe you'll get a call at five saying Lucy's been found floating in the river._

When he thought that, his throat closed tight.

 _Just check._

There were three messages. The first was from Chief Heartfilia, left around four, telling him to report for work and do a check of the warehouses, the second was from Freed, demanding to know if he found anything on Lucy. The third was from yours truly.

"Hey, Gray." As soon as her voice came out of the answering machine, Gray's heart stopped. When it started again, it was too fast. She started off by saying, "I'm alright." Which he had a hard time believing. "I'm freaked out. Natsu say's 'be anti-frantic' but—"

Gray imagined she'd been ringing her hands.

"Well… I'm sure you'll hear about it all soon anyway. Natsu said as soon as things calm down there, we'll come back." Gray didn't know if he believed _that_ either. "We haven't chosen a place to stay yet, but when we do, I'll give you the address and the number. Please don't say anything about my dad and me. I'm—I'm going to deal with it." He didn't know if that was truth or not. He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She had a few days and then…

 _And then what, Career Man?_

And then he'd do the right thing, like he should have when he first learned of it. To hell with his job.

"I still have my keys and—and a gun." Her breath hitched. "I'm alright," she said again. "I'll talk to you soon."

The line went dead.

"Was it her?" Erza asked anxiously.

"Yeah," Gray said. "It was her."

"Where is she?"

"She wouldn't say."

"Do you think he's holding her hostage? Maybe—"

"I don't think so," Gray cut in.

"Zeref Dragneel said he wanted revenge—"

"And Natsu broke into her house and dragged her out through a hoard of police, but not against her will. Lucy left with him. She says she still has her keys and she has a gun."

Even as he said it, Gray was full of doubt. He didn't know if he was making the right choice not doing what he could to pursue her.

"So that's it?" Erza asked.

"Lucy said she'd call again when she got settled."

"Gray—"

"We don't have any way to track her right now, Erza. Just… give it time."

She let all of the air out of her chest and dropped into the pastel pink armchair beside the phone. It had been his mom's favorite. He could never bear to part with it.

"I thought this would be more satisfying."

Gray let his legs fold, bringing him to the ground. He wanted to change, he wanted to shower; he was still covered in blood and bruised; a half-hearted healing hadn't changed that one bit. Mostly, though, he wanted to sit there and just _exist_ for a minute.

"We didn't catch any bad guys, we lost the girl. What the hell did we do?"

She was an endless source of energy.

"We almost got shot. We abetted the escape of our Chief's daughter, we pissed off plenty of criminals and became their unwilling allies."

Just like that, Erza's dissatisfaction fled. "It was pretty cool, wasn't it?"

"No."

She smiled some. Just a _touch._ "A little."

"You're fucking insane," Gray told her.

"You're just sore because I stole the spotlight, Constable Fullbuster. You wish you took Jellal Fernandez at gunpoint."

Gray groaned. "I wish you hadn't."

She shrugged. "He was alright. Aside from leaving me for Zeref Dragneel to kill. A little bit charming. He offered me a job. And offered to take me out."

Gray searched her eyes and found she was serious. He scrubbed his face, unintentionally opening a split in his cheek. The blood was hot and left a tickling trail.

Erza stood and held out her hand. "Come here."

Gray let her haul him up and lead him to the washroom. She'd definitely spent some time here. He couldn't even be mad. Well, that was a lie. He _could_. Just… tomorrow. When he had more energy.

Erza pulled him into the wide room and commanded him to take off his shirt while she grabbed the blue face cloth from the counter and wetted it. Then she put her butt up on the ledge and tugged him between her legs and wrapped one arm around his shoulders to keep him close. The skin of her legs was warm pressing into his ribs through her run-riddled pantyhose.

Her fingers were light and sure, making quick work of the blood. Gray watched her work in the mirror. His lip was still split, though now, with Wendy's help earlier, there was a three-day scab helping it along the way. His left eye was still black. Not swollen and gross, but definitely still bruised. And the cut on his cheek. Some light bruising around his cheekbone.

He was kind of a mess.

"What did you say?"

"What?" Erza asked distractedly.

"To Jellal Fernandez when he asked you out."

She met his eyes. "I turned him down, of course. I have scruples."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Are you asking if I was thinking about you?" she asked candidly.

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Yeah," she replied, fingers stopping her ministrations. "Maybe."

"Not because the Chief told you to?"

Irritation passed like a summer's storm, there and gone in an instant. "No."

Kissing her around a split lip was difficult. She took pity on him, giving him plenty else to do and think about other than how much his face hurt. This time there was no internal struggle or radio to distract. He undressed her and she let him.

* * *

Two days in, under a noon-hour sun, Natsu stopped in a little town called Sawmill Echo, pulling into a convenience store and driving right up to the payphone beside the building. "Wait here," he said to Lucy. "When I'm done, you can make your calls, too."

Getting out while he counted some change, he left the car running, listening to that old motor purr. The sound was hindered by the glass of the phone booth. He closed the door, keeping his back to Lucy, and put in the money. He had to make three calls to find his brother, one to Jellal, one to a spitting mad Gajeel that got him _nowhere,_ and one to Angel. The last was the ticket.

"Hello?" Zeref sounded sleepy when he picked up the phone. Or stoned. One of the two.

"Hey."

" _Natsu_." The dazedness evaporated in a blink. "Where the fuck are you?"

"On the road," Natsu evaded.

"Turn around and get back here."

"Thought I was out of the Den if I went and got Lucy?"

"I was just talking. Come home, Natsu. Gajeel's pissed about that car, but I won't let him touch you." He sounded so fierce. "Fuck, if you want to bring that girl back, that's cool. I don't care. We'll treat her like one of us, she'll be family if that's what you want."

It sounded so, so good. "Maybe in a little while. I think we should lay low for now."

"Natsu—"

Natsu interrupted before Zeref could whittle him down. "Listen, I just wanted to call to see if you were going to pay our friend a visit in the hospital."

Zeref paused. "It's being taken care of."

Like he knew it would be. "Make sure he hurts for what he did to Happy."

"He will."

"How's Angel?"

"Her leg's still fucked. But I'm taking care of her."

"Good." It was good Zeref had something to do.

"Where are you headed?" Zeref asked.

"I don't know," Natsu replied.

"Don't lie to me. I want to make sure you're alright."

Natsu's heart ached. "I really don't know. I'll call you when we get set up and give you the details."

Zeref's sigh was loud in the receiver. "Alright. Watch that girl. I know she's not much, but she looked sly."

"Lucy's alright," Natsu said. Then, because he knew _be smart_ was coming next, he said, "I'll keep my eye on her."

"Good. I'm still mad as fuck. So you know."

Natsu laughed. "I know."

"Gajeel almost took my fucking head off over that car."

"It's a nice car."

"I don't know if he's ever going to get over that."

Probably not. He could hold a grudge. "I gotta go," Natsu said, looking back over his shoulder to where his passenger waited. "Lucy's still gotta call her constable to let him know she's not dead or being maimed and I want to get a few more kilometers behind us."

"No grievers," Zeref told him.

"No grievers."

* * *

The front door of the constabulary opened, making Erza jump. She looked up from the report she wasn't supposed to be reading and looked around covertly to be certain she hadn't been caught. She didn't _think_ Chief Barnes was as strict as his predecessor, but she didn't want to find out, either.

Her heart skipped-beat when she realized she was actually being watched, approached by a very conspicuous man. If his hair colour wasn't telling enough, the tattoo over his right eye was. She sat back and smoothed her face into a calm mask while he moved toward her, through pools of light and shadow, never taking his eyes away from hers. It was almost unnerving the way he watched her. It made her heart do strange and unexpected things. Things she wished it would _not_. The feeling only intensified when she realized he held two things in his hand. One was a rose as scarlet as blood, the other was crisp, white paper.

"Mr. Fernandez. Kind of brazen to be walking in here, isn't it?" she asked when he was close enough that she didn't have to yell.

He smiled, coming to a halt in front of the desk. He looked smart in his black suit, black shirt and black tie, and positively devilish. "Yes, I suppose it is."

Eyes fixed on the rose, she asked, "To what do I owe the honour?"

Jellal held out both objects for her expectantly.

Erza just stared at them. "What is it?"

"One is a rose. Red, to signify beauty, perfection and passion. The other… is a fitness and psychological test."

Erza stared at him blankly. "What?"

"All constables are required to perform them before they're considered for a badge."

Erza's stomach flopped. "I'm not—"

"Commissioner Brim thought it was an _excellent_ idea. He's a forward thinking man."

"You spoke to him?" Erza managed.

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Blackmail, obviously."

"Take it back," she said, pushing it back at him.

"I was kidding," Jellal replied. "Though, if you were feeling appreciative, I would accept your thanks by way of an evening of your time."

Erza's mind jogged to catch up. "I told you I wouldn't date a criminal."

He smiled that Big, Bad Wolf smile again. "Of course. Accept the gift, Erza. It was garnered absolutely legitimately—no one was threatened, no one was hurt—for no other reason than I wasn't lying; I think Constable Scarlet has a nice ring to it. Magnolia could use someone with your… moral fiber."

 _Oh._ Erza's stomach flopped again. _Constable Scarlet._ She took the rose and the paper, setting the former on the desk and holding the latter up so she could _be sure_ that it was legitimate. It looked that way. _Holy hell. I'm going to be a constable._ Maybe. If she passed the tests. _It'll be easy._ She _was_ better than everyone else, she made sure of it. She dropped the page. "Thank—"

The space in front of the desk was empty; the front door swung closed.

"What?" Gray poked his head around the corner, a cup of sludge-like coffee in his hand.

The smile that came to her was stupidly wide. "Looking for a new partner?"

* * *

There was no sleeping tonic this time. There was no sneaking into her room, either. Lucy came to him when the hour was late. She slid open the sliding glass door that separated his room from the living room of the small cottage he'd rented under a false name, and tiptoed inside. The night didn't betray her, the moon was hidden behind a blanket of clouds, it was her scent and his excellent hearing, despite the fact that she was quiet, considering her upbringing.

Natsu peeked at her from beneath his lashes. It had been two cordial weeks since their grand escape and two days since the news of her father's untimely passing had reached them. When Zeref passed it along, Natsu didn't ask how it happened or how long it was after they left town. He just accepted the news and passed it on stoically. Lucy had taken it and cried. And cried.

As he thought, she got better. And faster than he'd expected.

Now, though, now he wondered if she was sneaking into his room to try to send him the way of her old man. It was his fault, after all, that Jude Heartfilia was pushing daisies. Her weight settled on the bed at his side, the mattress squeaking just slightly. She sucked in a breath and let it out nervously, then lifted her hand.

Natsu let his eyes come all the way open and focused. Lucy leaned over him, lips pressed together, a difficult to read expression on her face. He didn't think she knew he was looking at her, it was still too dark for that. Her fingers came to rest on his brow, so, so gentle, and tickled over his cheek.

It wasn't the touch of an assassin. He grabbed her wrist when she got to his neck, letting her know he was awake. Lucy brought in a startled breath, yet she didn't try to pull away.

"What is it?"

Her shoulders relaxed some. "I can't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Nightmares," she admitted. "Really—really bad stuff."

"You want to talk about it?" A look at her expression said _no._ Natsu waited patiently for her answer anyway.

"No."

He didn't know what he was supposed to say to that. How could he comfort her when she wouldn't talk to him and chances were, _he_ played a vital role in those nightmares?

Lucy said, "I don't want to be alone."

"You want to see if Ocean Edge is open, go get a coffee?"

"No," she said again.

He chewed back his annoyance and waited to hear what it was that she wanted. She hesitated for another beat then slowly, slowly inched her way down to the mattress. Her head was on the pillow before he believed it. He moved over and offered her a scrap of the thin blanket because her skin was cold; that silk nighty she wore didn't do much to keep her warm. It looked good on her, dark fabric against light skin. It put her on display and encouraged her to get closer. Natsu didn't know how it was possible to both simultaneously mind and _not_ , yet it was a state he'd perfected.

His turmoil fell away when she breathed easier, somehow more relaxed.

It would be three days before she stopped waiting until midnight came along to sneak in, and three more before he kissed her.

At first, her response was hesitant, uncertain. She slept in her own bed the night after, and the one after that, too.

She came back. And soon enough, she was the one kissing him. She was removing her clothes for him, and she was leaving everything else behind.


	21. Chapter 21

Salt and the smell of rotting seaweed lingered on the air, brought to Natsu's nose by a warm fall breeze. Soon it would turn cold, but for now, he was comfortable standing on the balcony without shoes on his feet, and the white shirt he wore open all the way, suspenders pushed down so they hung loosely at his hips.

He puffed on the cigarette smouldering between his fingers and blew out a long line of smoke, blurring out the room beyond the glass door. Not that he could see inside anyway, no lights were on and the moon was bright enough only to show him his reflection. The man that looked back was in need of a shave, a haircut, a hair dye, (his dark roots were coming out, making him look more and more like Zeref's brother) and had bruises on his neck left behind by a mouth that was more insistent than he imagined. His eyes were tired and sad still. He felt Happy's absence and the absence of the Den keenly. It had been weeks. Weeks and weeks. Too long.

And he'd stay longer if she asked, that was demonstrably true.

As true as the ache to go home. Visit Happy's grave. Say his sorry's. Think about what the hell happened and why.

The door slid open, blurring his image, and Lucy stepped out. Her hair was tousled gold, a tangled knot on her left shoulder that still managed to look soft, her skin was flushed rose pink, luminous against the black of her silk nighty. She was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that left a hollow low in his belly. She looked at him, eyes as wide as Bambi's, mouth generous. Her lips still looked used. He wanted to use them again. Again and again. She looked at him hesitantly. It still wasn't easy. He didn't know if it would ever be. He didn't know if it ever should be.

She still cried when she thought she was alone.

She still got nervous when he was a little too crass.

And he…

He still hesitated when he touched her, thinking first, I want this, and then, I shouldn't. Want was a heavy hitter. It won out time and time again, even when he screwed down his courage and grabbed the keys for the coupe, thinking he'd finally agitate the gravel and head back home. He'd always take that one last look back and cave or she'd call his name and his resolve would dissolve. He didn't think it was anything as sweet as love that kept him there.

He liked it when she sighed. He liked it when she'd tangle her fingers in his hair. He liked it when she'd lie flat on her back and all of her generous curves would be on display. He liked it when she was brave and got on top. And he liked it when she asked for something different and he did it from behind. But that didn't change who they were. That didn't make her less afraid of him. And it shouldn't, either.

"What are you thinking?" Lucy's voice was hoarse from use.

"I don't know." Natsu held out his hand. She looked at it and wavered before she took his fingers and allowed him to pull her in. He thought she liked this. The fear, the uncertainty he offered, the freedom. She liked feeling like she had control, though there was none to be found. He was a wildcard to her life of order. Or... her old life of order.

Maybe that means now you're nothing special at all. Maybe you're just another joker in a deck full of them. One last rebellion for Princess Lucy.

He tugged her in close to his chest and listened to her breath come out in a weak and nervous puff and knew he was more than that. What the hell that meant, he had no idea. But...

He bent and kissed her, knowing full well she didn't like the taste of cigarettes on his tongue but not caring much. She seemed to enjoy it. The dislike, that was. It was the juxtaposition she needed to make this... whatever they were doing in this small beach house, complete. If everything they did was at odds, then everything was in harmony.

He didn't understand it either.

He didn't understand why her back bowed and she moaned. He didn't understand why her arms wrapped around his neck. He didn't understand why he couldn't help but drop his cigarette to the sandy balcony and find her hips, her ribs, her full breasts and squeeze hard enough to make her sob but never hard enough to bruise.

It was odd. She was scared of him almost all of the time, except for when they were like this. She knew him like this, maybe? Natsu was as glad as he was disappointed. It made finding his prejudice so very, very hard.

Tonight he tried something different. Something scandalous that prim Lucy Heartfilia would hate. And love, too. Tonight he slipped his fingers beneath the shoulder straps of her nighty and tugged them down. She didn't protest until he was taking her arms from around his neck and rolling the fabric to the hard nubs capping her breasts. Then she took her mouth away from his and looked down.

"What are you doing?"

He kissed her chin, her jaw, her neck, and gathered her ear lobe onto his tongue. "I want to see you."

"Come inside." She grabbed his wrists, not stopping his caressing, but hindering it.

"No." Natsu tucked his thumbs into the fabric of her nighty and pushed it down in a smooth motion, making her breasts spill out.

Lucy gasped in a surprised breath. "Natsu."She tried to pull the fabric up; he wouldn't let her. So she shimmied closer, pressing her body against his so no one could see a damned thing, though there was no one around to look.

"We're alone." He grabbed her behind next and squeezed. She whimpered a little more frantically than usual. With such little effort, Natsu was stiff. He kissed her shoulder and used his hold on her to pull her closer. She felt him pressing into her hips and breathed heavier like he hoped she would.

He liked this.

He liked it too much.

It was easy to forget about everything.

He sucked the skin at her shoulder.

Lucy's whisper was more of a moan as she asked, "No one's out here?"

"No." There was another beach house not so far away, but the couple that had been renting it packed up and left as soon as fall arrived.

Her fingers dug into the waistband of his pants. "You promise?"

Good hell. He wouldn't say anything other than, "Yes," now.

Lucy let all of the air go out of her lungs and stepped back from him, breaking his hold on her. There, wind and pale moonlight streaming through her hair, skating on her skin, she took the fabric of her nighty and started shimmying, doing a small dance to get her full hips out of their confines. It took some work, she was just as generous now as she had been when he'd crawled in through her window and sat on her bed, taking in what luxury had given her.

He was glad for the effort she put in. The fabric came away and fell to the sand-dusted balcony and she was all there for him to see. It looked like she wanted to wrap her arms around her body; being nude in the open like this, even if it was nighttime, and even if they were alone, wasn't something that came easily to her. She did not, finding some iron somewhere. Natsu was sure his complete inability to look away from her had something to do with that. Between his legs ached. His fingers pricked, wanting to touch her.

He waited. Waited and waited for her to come to him. She did. He wasn't the only one seemingly completely unable to stop himself.

Lucy reached beneath Natsu's shirt and tickled his skin, feeling old scars, skimming between his pectorals. Her nails were still long and shaped, though she'd long ago chipped the nail polish away. She came up, up, up his chest to his neck, and then to his cheeks, holding him still and kissing him thoroughly enough, he felt stupid. Her mouth tasted sticky sweet, grapes on the precipice of sweet-rot.

She seemed content there, trapping him in place, kissing him breathless, so Natsu did the work she was not, undoing the button of his pants and pushing them down just enough to pull himself out. Lucy shimmied into him, trapping his erection against the cool skin at her belly. She purred. The sultry vocalization turned into a husky yelp when Natsu reversed their positions, ducked and lifted her up by the legs, pushing her into the metal railing lining the balcony. It probably wasn't comfortable. He was past the point of caring. Apparently, Lucy was, too, because she said nothing, just locked her arms around his throat, her legs around his hips, and returned to kissing him, pausing only to gasp when he slid inside of her.

* * *

Natsu stared at the raftered ceiling, listening to his own heart slowly, slowly winding down. Beside him, Lucy was already asleep. Her back was turned and her gold hair was fanned out on the pillow. It smelled like sweet-clover. He looked at her, imagining what end there was in sight. What future. People were looking for her. The police. The media. Lawyers. They wanted her home safe. They wanted her to claim the Heartfilia mansion, they wanted her to sign papers and collect her father's ashes. They wanted answers.

And Lucy… it seemed like the only thing she wanted to do was ignore it all. Find anonymity. Start over as someone new.

Zeref's words rang through his head. 'We'll treat her like one of us, she'll be family if that's what you want.'

He didn't know what the hell he wanted. He never did. Or what Lucy wanted, for that matter. Would she be satisfied returning to the Den and living amongst a band of criminals? Criminals that stole her from her life and twisted everything around? Or maybe she'd go back to the way everything was before and find that cop and live out a white-picket fantasy.

It didn't take long for him to realize he was afraid to broach the subject. Just in case she said something he didn't like and this short respite was ripped away, just when he was starting to relax.

The phone beside the bed shrilled, making Natsu jolt. It took it falling into silence and starting again for him to roll over and grab the receiver from the cradle.

"Yeah?"

"Natsu." On the other end of the line, Zeref sounded strained.

"What's wrong?"

"You gotta come home. I need you here."

Just like that, his blood was back to roaring in his ears. "What's going on?"

"Got some new competition in town and they don't play nice. They snatched Carla up while she was visiting with Happy and sent me her head as a warning."

"She's dead?"

"You know a girl that can stand to be without her head?"

Natsu forgave his shortness. "I'll be there."

"You're a good brother, Natsu."

No. If he was, he would have been there already. But instead, he was playing house. "Stay out of the fire for a few days."

He hung up without waiting for a reply and threw the blankets off. He was hopping into his jeans when he realized Lucy was sitting up and looking at him in the dark.

"You're leaving?"

He didn't look at her as he said, "I have to go back to Magnolia," thinking it'd be easier that way. "There's trouble."

"…Oh."

He opened his mouth to tell her to stay here and instead said, "Zeref said if you want, you can be part of the family."

She didn't say anything.

He hurried after that, throwing his shirt on over his shoulders, tearing one of the drapes off of the sliding glass door to use as a bag of sorts to throw in all the clothes he'd accumulated over the last month. He moved quickly, never slowing to look at her, otherwise, he'd be tempted to say something else stupid. It was over his shoulder and the deuce coupe's keys were in his hand in minutes.

Lucy's voice stopped him from slipping out without a goodbye. "Do you want me to come?"

Yes. And no. "It's going to be dangerous. Things aren't good."

Instead of deterring her, she stood and started to dress. "The only time I've ever had control was when I was in danger."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading. There is a sequel of sorts called Speed the Collapse. It's set in the same universe with many of the same faces. You'd honour me if you checked it out.


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